Rising Sun (朝日)
by Petrichor in May
Summary: Or alternatively, how a lamp girl and a dead woman saved a nation. The ripples in this ocean can turn to tsunamis of change, given enough time and meddling. SI OC, done a little differently from the norm.
1. Prologue: Rebirth

**_AN: Inspired, like many others, by _Dreaming of Sunshine. _If you haven't read it, you haven't read the pinnacle of Naruto SI OC fanfic. Inspiration was also supplied by _Iryo-nin Kasa_ by Vaengir, a good fic for this genre._**

_**Be warned, this takes place in an AU, one specifically changing Uzushio. If you don't like the idea of Uzushio having clans other than the Uzumaki, turn away now. If you're cool with it, feel free to jump right in.**  
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><p>Once upon a time, there was a girl. A young woman, to be precise. She was a quiet lady, dark haired and myopic, frail and weak-bodied. Unnoticeable in a crowd, unremarkable, reclusive and introverted.<p>

But the young woman had a brilliant mind, built for science and things, structures far greater than such tiny beings as humans. In the labs and classrooms and libraries she came alive, burning with a deep hunger, yearning for comprehension and understanding and learning as much as a single human can in their tiny mortal lifespan. She devoured books, absorbed information like a sponge, her bright young mind neatly sorting out data into organized chaos.

At the age of twelve, she built her first robot, a shiny toy that hurled water balloons at anyone within a ten feet radius. At seventeen, her first AI, crude and childlike, but a success nonetheless. At nineteen, she was offered a scholarship to MIT, much to her elatement. At twenty-one…her life screeched to a halt, rudely deposited her on the tarmac, and drove off into the sunset.

Her death was simple.

An man, driving down the road with reckless abandon and in a drunken haze, crashed into her petite figure, her fragile bones shattering on impact. As she bled out on the gravel, the warm light of the setting sun glimmering off the red on her skin and the pool of warm liquid around her, she dimly registered the disappearing warmth of the summer heat as she numbed. Sunlight in her fading eyes, she whispered through the iron in her throat.

_End of the road, huh?_

And the last remnant of life that Lydia Li was clinging to melted away, and Lydia with it.

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><p>"Push, Asa-ba, push!"<p>

"I'm doing that, Haru! I swear to Amaterasu , that goddamn fucking lousy no-good bastard's gonna get it from me!"

"That's nice, nee-san. Come on now, she's almost out…"

"Nggghhh!"

"That's it, nice and easy…"

A woman's voice screamed.

A baby's wailing filled the room. The woman panted, sweat dripping from her tan skin and golden hair. The equally blonde young lady next to her breathed out a sigh of relief, picking up the bloody, squalling tiny form with white-gloved hands.

"Congratulations, it's a bouncing baby girl… Ah!" She gasped softly. "She has the marks, nee-san! A fortuitous omen indeed." Gently, the woman toweled the blood off the screeching baby, whispering soothing words as she worked. "Shoosh, child, shooosh…no need to cry, your mama's right over there…."

Groaning, the new mother rasped dryly. "My girl … give'er here, Haru…"

As the girl continued to wail on, the mother cradled the tiny form in her arms, trembling with joy, her whole form glowing as she gazed upon her daughter's face with pure, tender, maternal love. She kissed the baby's forehead and held her to her chest, still shaking with unadulterated happiness.

"Wish he could be here t'see this…" she murmured raspily, rocking the babe slowly, back and forth, back and forth. "But your tou-san is off fightin' the good fight. Ken's gonna have a _surprise_ when he gets his sorry ass back 'ere!" She giggled breathily, the girl calming some as she brushed a gently shining hand against her face.

"My little light in this rainy hell…your name's Akari. Lamp in the rain, guiding through the darkness. My precious lil' baby girl…" she crooned sweetly to the crying babe, whimsical names flowing from her lips. "Sunborn, child of the dawn, rising sun's light, hope in the darkness, baby girl…"

Her blue eyes glowed with soft golden light.


	2. Midday I: Sunborn in Rain

**_AN: Not much happens here. This chapter is mostly character establishment and rainy days. I swear it gets better._**

**_EDIT: changed some stuff in the last scene._**

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><p>The first thing most noticed about young Akari was that she was an awfully happy baby.<p>

Living in Amegakure in its time of war was not exactly conducive for any kind of joy – even Ame in peacetime was a soggy, wet mess of a village. Most children lived in broken homes, with equally broken parents; many more were orphans, stuffed in tiny orphanages or out on the streets. The adults, as well, were all of the grim and solemn kind. The Village Hidden in the Rain had an atmosphere like its name implied: gloomy and sad.

Akari, despite all this surrounding her, was the most cheerful and bubbly child in the whole of Amegakure. She giggled at every silly face and funny movement; burbled happily at her family in crude baby talk; simply demanded your complete and utter adoration. She grasped with soft chubby hands at offered fingers and played any game with delight. She was, simply put, the happiest child in Amegakure.

This was because she had two advantages over other children. One: her genetics called for such a pure, innocently joyful personality. Her mother's clan was a rowdy bunch of boisterous and happy folk, and her mother had no doubt that her baby would turn out the same.

Two: she had her own personal caretaker in her head.

_((Akari-chan, don't put that in your mouth, it'll hurt,)) _the voice chided softly as the ten-month old baby poked at a loose nail in the floorboards. It hadn't been there before, and the little girl was curious about it. Curiosity usually meant sticking it in her mouth. The voice was gently training her out of it.

_((?)) _Little Akari gave a mental equivalent of a questioning sound, with an image of her managing to cut her lip after a fall, and an impression of hurt.

_((Yes, Akari, like that. Now, I believe your mama is in the kitchen.)) _

_((!)) _The baby happily began to crawl to the door, eager to go and see her mother. Softly padding along with soft baby hands and feet, she crossed into the room, bumping her face into a hard leg.

A chuckle sounded from above her. "Well, what do we have here?"

Strong, warm hands reached down and encircled her. The little girl being lifted in the air gurgled happily, bringing her chubby palms around to pat a pair of scarred cheeks. The man laughed and pressed his forehead to hers, two pairs of bright blue eyes meeting. "Hey, sunshine," He cooed, voice deep and husky, rumbling with baritone undertones.

Mizushima Ken smiled at his daughter. "What're you doing here? Woke up from your nap, huh?"

The baby only giggled in response.

Ken sighed, then grinned, bringing Akari up and placing her on his broad shoulders. She giggled a child's laugh, loud and bright with untainted innocence, tiny fingers now gripping coarse blue hair.

The father and daughter swept through the rooms, joyfully playing. Ken made various whooshing noises, Akari screaming happily as her shock of red hair flew in the air behind her. In a whirlwind, they danced downstairs in a flurry of pounding feet and screeching laughter.

A voice came from the kitchen. "Ken, what have I told you about taking Kari-chan around like that?"

"I am always careful, Asa-chan!" The man called back. "Besides, sunshine likes it!"

Yoakeno Asagao emerged from the kitchen, golden blonde hair tied back in a bun, calloused palms slick with oil. She grinned despite herself. "Looks like you two're having fun," She said. "Dinner's ready. We got kitsune udon, and I managed to snag some good fish from the market today."

"Did someone say dinner?" A voice rang out from behind Ken, who turned around to smile.

A young lady, her blonde hair damp with rainwater, trod inside, still dripping slightly. Four bags were clutched, two in each hand. Yoakeno Haru smiled. "Because I am absolutely _starving_."

"Haru! How was your day out?" Asagao asked.

The young woman grinned back brightly, waving the bags clutched in her hand. "Guess who got fresh gear?" She crowed, setting the first bag down at the table, and unzipping it. It sagged open, revealing sharp gleaming steel. Ken took on an unholy gleeful look, sparkles glimmering in his eyes at the sight of blades. Akari cooed, eyes wide at the sight of shiny things. Inside her head, the voice tutted and sighed._ ((Children should really not be exposed to this kind of thing.))_

The older of the two blondes grinned a predator's grin. "Excellent. Sealing?"

With a flourish, the other bag was opened by nimble fingers and laid out on the table. Blank scrolls and sealed pots of ink stood out from inside, as well as fresh brushes and paper. "Right here, onee-san. Snagged the best ones they had in stock on a discount, too."

Asagao whistled. "You little charmer, you."

"You know old man Yama loves me like his own kids."

Akari's stomach chose this moment to complain loudly, in the form of growling. The little girl sniffled and started up a whine. Her mother noticed immediately.

"Oh, Kari-chan! Aren't you a hungry girl! I'll get the food out. Haru, bags on the floor, set the table, and keep an eye on Kari. Ken, come here and help me." Asagao laid out the orders like a drill sergeant. Ken snapped to loving attention, setting his daughter down in her chair.

"Of course, sunlight." Behind him, Haru made a gagging face, delighting Akari immensely. A child's giggles and a teen's laughter followed the two adults out of the dining room, a smile on every face in the house.

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><p>It was three in the afternoon, and the youngest child of the Mizushima family was supposed to be asleep.<p>

_((Li-nee-chan, 'm bored,)) _Akari mumbled to herself quietly. The nearly two-year old rolled around on the futon, dark scarlet hair splaying out and tangling as she moved. The voice answered back patiently. _((They're getting things ready for your birthday celebration, Kari. You'll just have to wait for now. Besides, you still have to practice your words.))_

There was the mental equivalent of a whine, in the way young children were prone to. _((Boooooring. Wanna make 'splodeys like kaa-chan.)) _

The voice sighed, long-suffering exasperation and gentle chiding mingling together. _((Not yet. You have to wait for your mother to teach you those first. And you can't make any seals if you don't know your words.))_

The little girl made a hopeful noise. _((So trainin' to make th' 'splodeys?))_

_((Yes, Kari-chan. Training to make the explosion seals.))_

_((Yay!)) _The girl scrambled off her futon, where she pushed the mat aside and manoeuvered the tatami and a loose floorboard out of the way to reveal a stash of blank scrolls, an ink pot, and a small brush. She grabbed a scroll and the writing utensils, and sat down to begin. _((Ready now!))_

_((Now first, you make this stroke here…))_

A quiet afternoon passed this way.


	3. Midday II: Dark Rooms and New Years

**_AN: 恭禧发财_****_! Gong Xi Fa Cai! Happy Chinese New Year to all of you out there! May the Year of the Horse be a good one. This chapter is brought to you by procrastination on schoolwork. _**

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><p><em>((Akari! Akari, wake up <em>_**now!**__))_ The voice echoed throughout her head loud as a ringing bell. With a groan, one-year old Akari came to, yawning quietly.

_((Whassit Li-nee…))_

_((Look, Kari!)) _Li pulsed an impression of _:darkness:_ and _:danger:_, sending Akari jerking upright and blue eyes open to complete blackness. No light could be seen, and the only sound was the faint _drip drip_ of water. Unease flooded her mind. The faint comforting rush of warmth and power that came from what little sunlight there was in rain-cursed Ame was absent, leaving a cold void in its wake.

Akari shivered. "What is this?" The little girl breathed quietly, with a growing edge of panic. Li, equally agitated, quietly attempted to calm her. _((Kari, calm. I don't know how this happened, but you need to get out. Find a wall and use that to walk around.))_

_(('kay.)) _On wobbly legs, Akari stood with bare feet and began to gingerly pick her way across the cold floor. It felt like cold, damp rock. Walking carefully, she stepped lightly, hands outstretched at her sides to provide balance. After a short bout of tottering blindly, her face bumped up against a hard wall.

"Ow…" the little girl muttered weakly. Placing both palms on the wall, she began to follow it to see where it led. She soon came up against a corner, and past it, a smooth stretch of stone corridor that seemed to branch out into two different paths.

_((It looks like we're stuck in a maze_,_))_ Li said,_ ((We have to be careful, there might be traps.))_

_((C'n I try th' chakra thingy?)) _Akari asked. _((Need light.))_

_((It's too dangerous for me to teach you, Akari-chan. You need to wait for your parents to teach you.))_

_((But 's dark…)) _Akari whimpered slightly, but not very much because she was nearly two years old now and a Big Girl. _((Dun like it.))_

_((I don't either, Kari, but we have to keep moving.))_

_(('Kay.)) _The girl sniffled and began to move with greater urgency. Bare feet trod lightly on the wet rock as Akari moved.

_((Good, good,)) _Li murmured encouraging words as she made her way through the almost endless winding corridors. _((Keep moving, keep moving.))_

Step after step after step after step, tread lightly and keep moving. Akari fell into an easy rhythm that staved off the slowly rising panic. Left foot, right foot - feel the rock, don't trip over it - left, right, left right. At a crossroads, _((pick the right, pick the left, keep straight and forward)) _would come the murmurs, and then the walking pattern would be monotonous if not for the choking, slowly growing panic that sank in her stomach and caught in her throat. Childish paranoia fed her fears, and each soft step landed with a thud and an echo that rang, ricocheting off unseen obects. Akari could feel the darkness creeping behind her, claws tickling her back, pressure through clothes, whispers in her ear. She would sweat, but it was too cold to.

After what seemed an era of this, finally the echoes seemed to be bouncing off closer and closer objects. Hands outstretched to the right and left– a wall there, and there too. Akari moved to one side and clung there, inching forward, and forward, until-

She bumped into a wall. She whimpered. The shadows behind her hissed with glee.

_((Oh.)) _Li's voice seemed very faint. _((Would you be kind enough to reach out to your other side, Akari?))_

There was another wall. Three sides, and completely blocked off. After all this time, it was a dead end. Akari felt the increasing urge to cry.

_((It looks like we've hit a block, Akari-chan,)) _Li's voice was light and gentle, the anxious tone underneath betraying her uncertainty. _((I'm going to need you to turn around and walk back.))_

The monsters rattled with beastly laughter, and tingly feelings danced on her back, and the little girl was completely, utterly terrified.

_((Akari-chan? Come on, Kari-chan, just turn around. The corridor's right behind you.))_

_((Where?! I can't SEE!)) _The little girl was bordering on hysteria, tears filling her eyes. _((Dark hungry dark dark-))_

_((Akari, calm! Don't cry out!)) _Li desperately tried to calm her, to no avail.

_((-hate it hate it hate hate hate-)) _Akari could feel something welling up inside her, flooding her, as she continued her panic. Wetness dribbled down her cheeks as she sobbed, the sound echoing.

_((Akari!)) _Under the flow of tears, her eyes began to faintly glow. Gold triangle marks shone around her eyes, resembling stylized rays of light.

_((-need light light LIGHT WANT TO SEE-))_

The tips of her fingers tingled with prickliness; the backs of her eyes itched and throbbed; and with a wailing scream she burst into a corona of light.

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><p>In the maze of shadows, there was a faint brightness in one corner, emanating from a small child. The darkness crept around the edges, but could not touch the shield of light surrounding the little redhaired girl curled up in a ball.<p>

_((Wow, Kari.)) _Li was completely flabbergasted. (_(Just…that is _incredible_.))_

Surrounded by comforting warmth, Akari sniffled and gave a wobbly smile through the still-flowing tears, eyes bright.

_((Th'nks.))_

_((Do you think you can move around now?)) _

A quiet sniff, quickly wiped away by grubby fingers.

_((Th'nk so.)) _

On trembling legs, the tiny body uncurled and rose up, gripping the wall. A tentative step forward, and another, as Akari began to move through the branching corridors once more, the light following at her feet like a loyal hound. The monsters howled from shadowy corners, but were kept at bay, and the little girl felt safe and warm at last.

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><p>Elsewhere…<p>

It was a rainy midnight in Ame. A seal tag glowed, red characters shining brightly on the parchment. That was the only warning Ken got before the tiny paper exploded in the palm of his hand.

_"Shit!-"_

A loud bang.

Coughing hoarsely and tearing up slightly, the blue-haired man blinked rapidly and roughly swiped away the cloud of smoke with both hands, trying to keep from inhaling the gas. He muttered, voice rough, with a faint tinge of weariness. "By my ancestors, I swear that Asa does this out of sadism…"

Footsteps pounded down the stairs. A blonde woman, scar running across her cheek and the bridge of her nose, blue eyes bright with life, burst into the dining room. Words tumbled out in a rush. "I heard the bang, is it-"

Ken looked up to face her, smoke beginning to dissipate as he swatted at it, and cut her off. "-Yes, the tag burst; yes, it was the one that shows nikkoton activation; yes, I'm sure." He rattled off the words bluntly and quickly, and smiled. "Shall we go now?"

With a bright grin, Yoakeno Asagao nodded and dashed out of the room, Mizushima Ken following close behind.

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><p>Step after step after step after step. Right-left right-left, keep walking and don't stop.<p>

The spot of light moved slowly down passages and turned corners with all the speed of a sloth. The little girl in its center walked with feet fueled by pure determination and the rush of power she now felt.

_((I think we're almost at the end, Kari.)) _Li murmured softly in her ear, over the growls and hisses of lurking shadows. Akari paid them no heed and let her inner babysitter's words of encouragement wash over her like a wave of teacherly affection. (_(Just a bit more, and we can stop, and hopefully get some food.))_

_((Food's good,)) _the hungry little girl concurred, bringing to mind the painful growling in her belly. They came to a crossroads.

_((Right or-)) _As one they froze at the sound of footsteps echoing through darkened corridors.

_((Oh dear-)) _was all Li managed to get out before the footsteps turned a corner and a nova of light emerged, bright and triumphant.

The little girl blinked and gasped. "_Kaa-san_!" Strength flowed into her as she ran, full tilt, towards the charging woman.

Joyous laughter greeted the little girl as her mother ran towards her. With a loud whoop, Asagao hoisted the tired little girl up in her arms and swept her around, spinning in place with glowing joy. Akari blinked, still dazed, but smiled back. "You did it, Kari-chan!" Her mother cooed and kissed her on both grimy cheeks. "Sunshine, my baby girl, you've unlocked your power!" The warm arms tightened into a bear hug. "I knew you could do it!" The little girl just grinned, tears springing to her eyes in relief, and hugged back.

Another pair of warm arms encircled the daughter and mother as a broad chest came up against the little girl's back. A rough voice, faintly smelling of smoke, spoke. "Happy birthday, sunshine," Ken grinned and kissed the crying girl on her head. "You did an amazing job."

_((We're safe now, Akari-chan,))_ Li laughed and emanated _:happiness: _and _:relief:, _a gentle touch caressing her mind. _((You did so well, darling.))_

Encased in welcoming warmth and light and love, Akari cried and embraced her parents in relief. The light pulsed gently and the howls faded away in its brightness.

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><p><em>((Akari-chan!)) <em>Li's voice came echoing, stirring Akari from blissfully bright dreams into waking. She opened bright blue eyes to the ceiling of her parents' bedroom, in their futon. Warm cloth slid off her as she sat up, the ever-present sound of pouring rain coming from outside.

With _:joy:_, Li smiled. _((Happy birthday, Akari-chan! And New Year as well!)) _she added.

Akari smiled, and stood up. And shivered, because it was really really cold.

She was in nice fresh sleeping clothes, she noted absently. Wrapping herself in a blanket, she padded down the stairs and into the dining room. Ken looked up from his bowl and grinned. "Mornin', birthday girl," he said, low voice scratchy with sleep. "Want some porridge?"

Akari giggled. Blanket trailing behind her in a flower-patterned train, she hopped into her seat to a fresh bowl of steaming hot porridge. Fish, she noticed from the smell. Eagerly, she dove in.

Asagao emerged from the kitchen and laughed brightly at the sight of her daughter's sticky white-coated mouth. Said daughter smiled, rejuvenated by the meal, and chirped. "Ohayo, kaa-san!"

"Ohayo, sunshine," Asagao sauntered over and placed a large pot on the table, filled to the brim with hot porridge. "Have a good rest?"

"Yep!" Spoon in hand, the little girl scooped out as much porridge as her bowl could take, and then stuffed it in her mouth. "R'lly h'ngry."

The two adults present laughed, Asagao high and ringing like a bell, Ken deep and husky. It was to this sight, a little redheaded girl with bulging cheeks of porridge, that the final member of the family came to.

A faint aura of steam around her and damp blond hair up in a bun, Haru stepped in and immediately burst into laughter. "Happy birthday, Akari-chan!" she giggled, patting the girl on the head and seating herself.

"Happy birthday!"

It was the 1st of January, and in the Mizushima house the world looked bright and beautiful, even in the midst of gloomy winter rain.

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><p><strong><em>AN: The dark maze will be explained fully next chapter. A quick summary of it would be [A training technique used by the Yoakeno. It helps to activate their kekkei genkai and train against its limitations.]<em>**


	4. Midday III: Bedtime Stories

_**AN: Aaaaah OMG three reviews and 9 followers! Y'all are rad as heck **_**\(U3U)/**_**~kissu kissu **_

_**This chapter is brought to you by homework-related procrastination and lots of plotting. The author apologises for the excessive exposition and lack of any actual action. She promises some next chapter.**_

_**EDIT: Added an extra scene in, just to lead up to next chapter.**_

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><p>"Kaa-chan, how come I have to do the Darkroom?" Akari questioned. It was a day after her second birthday, and she was curious to know.<p>

"Well, Kari-chan," Asagao began. "Have you looked in a mirror lately?"

Confused, the little girl shook her head. "No…"

The blonde woman grinned and stood up from where she had been sitting. She walked out of the room and returned near immediately with a hand mirror. Kneeling down before her daughter, she raised the reflective object before her face and asked. "Channel your chakra and tell me, what do you see?"

Scrunching her eyes up in concentration, she summoned that feeling of brightness back and welcomed the tingling throughout her body. Akari opened her eyes and blinked. "Whoaa…" she said in awe.

Her eyes had turned into glowing pools of gold. Around her pupil, there was a ring of black surrounding it, while the rest of her iris shone. Above where her eyelashes were, there were two glowing triangles jutting outwards for each eye, with another under her eye. "Kaachan, wha'ssis?"

"This is your heritage," She said, putting down the mirror. "These are the eyes of our clan. The Asahigan. The Rising Sun Eyes, born out of a desire to protect. With these eyes, the sun gives you power. As long as the sunlight touches you, it gives you its power. Have you ever noticed that you have more energy when it's a sunshower?" She said, referring to the spells of rain that happened occasionally, where it rained but the sun still shone.

"Yeah!"

"That's why you have to do the Darkroom training," she explained. "Your power comes from the sun, which means that once it's gone, you don't have any more of it left. So we have to build up your own strength without the help of the sun."

Akari sniffled. "But I don't like the dark…"

Asagao soothed her gently. "I know, sunshine, I know. No-one in our clan likes the dark – we're children of the sun, darkness goes against what we are. But it's a part of nature, so we have to learn how to deal with it, alright?"

Akari nodded. "'Kay."

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><p>In a room underground, surrounded by darkness, a woman, a girl, and a child sat together.<p>

Overhead, a string of glowing coin seals dangled from the ceiling, shedding dim light, enough so that a regular person would be able to discern shapes. Sat in a triangle formation, the three Yoakeno women had crossed legs, with hands on knees.

A faint aura of blue hovered around each, flickering and flaring. On the woman, it burned strong and steady, covering her in a sheen of blue. On the girl, it burned softer, gently rippling as if she was covered in water. On the child, it flared erratically, burning high and low at random points as she gained and lost concentration.

_((Dun like it…)) _Akari muttered in her head. _((Too quiet, too dark.))_

A long suffering sigh. _((It's meditation, Kari-chan, you have to be quiet, even if it's boring.))_

Akari sighed back, and quickly caught her concentration slipping as her chakra sputtered and then returned to life.

"Kaa-chan, are we done yet?" Akari whispered, the sound echoing in the room.

"Just about," she smiled. "Can you do a flare for me?"

In response, Akari clenched her eyes shut and let the warmth wash over her and shoot high. She heard her mother laugh. "Good job, sunshine! What about your nikkoton?"

Akari grinned and inhaled. With her breath came an aura of radiance that bloomed bright, seeping from her skin and illuminating the room.

Haru whistled from where she sat. "That's pretty slick, Kari-chan! I wasn't nearly that good at your age."

Asagao nodded, and stood. "Then let's do some katas before heading up."

She slid into a horse stance, and gold light flared around her. The other two followed, three auras pulsing in sync and wiping away any darkness in the room like a shade of a bad dream.

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><p>Nighttime in Amegakure was cold, wet and dreary. Though the Mizushima house was a decently sized and well-kept one, its inhabitants still suffered the same as anyone else in the village, with howling gales pounding at the walls and doors, raindrops battering away at metal roofs, and the incessant yelling of feuding neighbours. Often the youngest in the house would find herself trembling at the noises and jumping at shadows, but with the help of her inner babysitter she coped well enough.<p>

Tonight, however, was a particularly bad one. Ame was subjected to seasonal rains all year round, with light spring showers, heavy summer rain, wild fall storms and bitter cold winter drizzles. It never got cold enough to freeze or snow in Ame, but it never had to – the chilly wetness was enough to keep the people shivering throughout the season. On that March night, winter had its final hurrah, letting loose windy hounds with frost-laden breath to take the village by storm. The rattling of roof metal haunted many a house, as the storm took them by the metaphorical shoulders and pummeled them in the face. The earth-shaking boom and electric crackle of thunder and lightning led to a young girl with a shock of red hair to let out a muffled scream and flee her room.

Wrapped in her blanket, trembling and glowing with flickering light, she barely made it out of her room before a concerned father's arms collided with her tiny frame and hoisted her up effortlessly.

"Sunshine, what's wrong?" He murmured quietly, careful not to wake the still-sleeping blonde women. Akari, still scared stiff, made incoherent blubbering noises and gripped her father's rough sleeping shirt with white knuckles.

"Is it the storm?"

A red head bobbed up and down, the rest of the glowing body clinging tight to the strong frame of the swordsman.

He sighed and brought a rough palm around to pat her head, the other holding her closer. "C'mon, sunshine," He said, walking back into the room he had emerged from. "Let's go find your kaa-san."

The bedroom was dimly lit by glowing, wooden, coin-shaped seals that dangled from the ceiling, attached to a string that looped around the four corners of the ceiling. In the middle of it, up against the wall, there lay two futons, pushed together to make one.

Sitting up on the furthest one was a blonde woman. Her eyes glowed faintly in the dim. Ken gently kneeled down and gave the tearful little girl into her waiting arms. Akari sniffled and buried her face in Asagao's robe.

"Oh, sunshine," Her voice came rough from sleep. "Bad dreams?" The little girl nodded. Asagao smiled gently. "Then let's have a story."

As Ken settled into bed, pressing up against her as a comforting solidness, the Yoakeno woman cradled her baby girl in her arms and began a tale of her clan.

"Long ago, in a time of gods and demons, where great spirits prowled the land and cared none much for humankind, there lived a warrior's daughter with long black hair and warm brown eyes…"

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><p><em>The daughter was a fierce and hotheaded young woman, who longed nothing more than to be stronger to protect those she loved. You see, Akari, spirits didn't care about for small beings like humans, and so we often got caught in their crossfire. People died young and feared them very much.<em>

_The daughter was angry that this was so, but was kept in the village by her father, who didn't want to see her get hurt. Even if she was one of the best young warriors around, her father would rather she stayed safe than go out for glory. So for sixteen years, she bided her time and trained and trained and trained, fending off suitors (that's people that want to marry you, Akari. Yes, I know, it's gross) and spirits alike._

_On the eve of her sixteenth year, she got her chance. Two spirits were battling in the woods where the village was, and threatened to destroy the settlement and its people. They had already destroyed the neighbouring one, after all. So the daughter tied back her long black locks, sharpened her blade, and in the middle of the night she rode out to confront them._

_The two spirits were a young blue firebird and the god of the river, a great red dragon. The firebird had taken some fish that the humans had left out as offering to the river god, unaware of the deadly offense that it showed. The firebird was still a young and ignorant child, though not without considerable power. The dragon, enraged by the firebird's theft, rose out of its waters and attacked. _

_The firebird fought back, obviously, with jets of azure flame that set the forest aflame but barely scorched the river god's scales. The dragon shot streams of water in the sky that only briefly extinguished the firebird's flames. The forest, meanwhile, was being burned and drowned at the same time. In the midst of this chaos, the daughter rode up on her black horse, leapt off, and with a great yell, caught the two's attention. _

_"Who dares interrupt this battle of honour?" thundered the dragon furiously. _

_"Begone, small one!" warned the firebird in a voice that burned hot like flames. "What transpires here is not for those of the mortal realm!"_

_The daughter inclined her head respectfully, and spoke._

_"With all due respect, great spirits," she said loudly, so they could hear. "Your petty squabble has destroyed an entire village full of humans, and threatens to raze my own. It would be appreciated if you ceased your fighting."_

_The firebird scoffed. "Pah! Mortals should know better than to get in the way of a feud of spirits! They were fools." The dragon stayed silent, for he knew the look in the daughter's eye, and decided to wait patiently and see what happened._

_Filled with increasing rage, the daughter spoke. "Great firebird, lord of the waters," she addressed them both. "Cease your meaningless dispute, or I will do it for you."_

_The firebird laughed. "Hah! What could a mortal such as you do to one of my kind?"_

_"Try me," The daughter said. _

_And with that, the daughter unsheathed her blade and struck._

_It was a furious and fierce battle. Though the river lord stayed in his waters, put out fires, and observed as a spectator, the young blue firebird was of a power far surpassing any mortal. Indeed, even as a mere chick, he had struck down many a foolish human who tried to take down a spirit. But the young mortal, with her brown eyes full of fire and rage, laid blow after blow on the great bird. He spat fire and clawed with white-hot talons, but swift as the wind she dodged, and what she could not, she endured._

_Finally one fell, feathers of fire falling down around the body as the firebird crashed and collapsed on the forest floor. The daughter, her long black hair burnt and streaked with ash, her brown eyes teary from dust and embers, stood tall before the downed beast, sword in weary hand._

_Defeated, the firebird raised his head. "How?" he croaked out tiredly._

_The daughter simply brushed a fiery feather from her hair and knelt down. "Resolve." She answered, quiet voice ringing out like a bell through the battleground. "Love. Rage. And a healthy amount of possessive anger." She added on. "Because you see, the people you threatened to destroy – they are my bloodkin, my family, mine. My people. Not yours. And nothing on this earth will touch them as long as I still stand."_

_From where he lounged in the river, the dragon chuckled, vicious and low. "Fine then, young mortal of light. Ye've bested this young fool. But this insolent wretch of a _thief_ dared to steal my tribute!" He snarled, waters churning around him. "I'll not go with such disrespect!"_

_The daughter gave the firebird a long, hard look. _

_The firebird, looking slightly sheepish, glared weakly from where he lay. _

_She gave a firm kick to his belly. _

_With a groan, the firebird rasped out. "Fine then, river god. I apologise for my transgression, on the name of my ancestors. I swear to never again disrespect you or your domain." Weakly, he flopped back down, and exhaled a cloud of smoke._

_The daughter crouched down before the head of the bird and smiled guiltily. "I am sorry that I had to trounce you so soundly. It was my first true battle, and I am glad to have partook in such glory with you."_

_The firebird smiled back. "You have a soul like a spark of storm-light," he said. "Unlike any other mortal I have ever encountered. You burn like a tiny glimmer in a black sky. Truly amazing." The firebird shifted slightly, and the crown of flaming feathers upon his head flared bright. "For one with a spirit like my own, take one of my feathers as a trophy. It is a gift you have won with blood and steel."_

_Gratefully, and accepting the offering graciously, the daughter plucked a feather from the crown. Though the flames licked at her fingers, they did not burn. She tucked it within her robes, in a pocket against her heart, and reveled in the sensation of fiery warmth against her heart._

_The firebird laid back and blew out a plume of ash. "I have been bested. It is a strange feeling. Not unwelcome, however." _

_The dragon snorted. "You had it coming. If the mortal had not defeated you, I would have. Child, come closer," he beckoned. Obligingly, the daughter limped up._

_With an emerald eye, the river lord inspected the girl's form and swept over it with a wave of water that carried away the blood and grime and left scabbing wounds in its wake. "You are one of mine," he murmured. "But not quite. Yours is not a soul of water, but of light," he commented. "You do not belong here, brightsoul."_

_The girl frowned. "My loyalty is to my family and my village. Are you insinuating something?"_

_The dragon chuckled. "I'm implying that ye're not meant to linger in this forest of shadows and rivers. Ye have a future ahead, youngling. Ye must venture out from this wood and find yourself."_

_The daughter gripped her sword tight. "I belong with my family." She bit out. "I cannot. My place is here."_

_The dragon sighed. "Well, if ye insist, know that the fool of a firebird will be lingering here for the next few weeks or so as he heals. And you know where to find me," the dragon laughed. "Call, and I will come. I owe ye a debt, brightspark. If ever ye wish to leave, I will help as much as I can."_

_The daughter bowed low in respect. "I thank you, lord of the waters. I must return home now."_

_With a toothy smile, the dragon bid her farewell. "I shall see ye again, Brightspark."_

_Walking away, she called for her horse and slipped back onto her black steed. The daughter, atop her horse, rode home into the dawn, black hair flowing behind her, sword at her side._

* * *

><p>Akari yawned tiredly. "Bu' why did the sword work?"<p>

Asagao stroked her gently. "You see, the daughter's sword was but a simple straight chokuto. Though well made, it was merely a plain sword. But in the grip of one possessing of such righteous, protective anger, those feelings flowed into the steel and imbued it with power enough of beating spirits, and in the right hands, enough power to strike down gods. The sheer rage the daughter felt was more than enough to defeat a young spirit such as the firebird. Does that make sense?"

"Y'h. Wha' happened next?"

"I'll tell you later. I think it's time for bed now."

Akari gave a jaw-cracking yawn and nodded sleepily. "Okay." she muttered, curling into her mother's side. "G'night, okaa-san."

"Goodnight, sunshine," Asagao murmured softly, settling down, eyes slipping shut. "Sleep tight."

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: The bedtime story Asagao tells is a traditional Yoakeno tale that they tell their children. It's only the first of a long, long saga, however. Remember it, because it'll pop us more as the story progresses. <em>**

**_To answer Vaengir's question: I use parentheses as quote marks for mental conversations because I need something to set them apart from regular conversation. The parentheses are supposed to convey an echo-y sort of feel._**

**_To Archer of the Undreamed and sonyat: aaaaaaaaAAAH I LOVE THAT YOU LOVE IT :D_**

**_Next chapter: _**

**_((_****Tattoos****_?!)) _****Li exclaimed loudly, Akari cringing as the loudness echoed in her skull. Li quickly toned it down. ****_((Sorry, Kari-chan. But _****tattoos****_? You're only two! You shouldn't even have these!))_**

**_Please review and tell me what you liked!_**


	5. Midday IV: Petals Fall

_**AN: Holy shit 400+ views! *throws confetti into the air* Cool cool cool. Now if only the number of reviews were the same. Seriously guys, I don't know if you like it, or hate it, or whatever. Feedback would be amaaazing~**_

_**This chapter brought to you by excessive procrastination. Also the action that the writer promised here is very little, she knows. She is very sorry for it. On the plus side, shit hits the fan and they finally get out of Ame!**_

* * *

><p>When Akari woke up on June's second morning, it was to the comfort of her bed, the rattling of raindrops on metal roofs, and a dull ache in her back. The throbbing was present in her palms and shoulders as well, she found, but persisted particularly in the space between her shoulderblades. It was an itchy sort of ache – the kind that came from skin knitting itself back together, she knew from experience, and she immediately tried to recall what had occurred the day before.<p>

_((Li-neechan? D'you know wha'happened?)) _

_((Right here, Kari.)) _As Li began speaking, Akari tried to twist around to look at her back, her tiny two-year old body proving ineffective in such endeavours.

_((You had a Darkroom day, and we got out in record time. You were rather tired, though, so kaa-san got you cleaned up and you fell asleep on her back.)) _A hand managed to graze the spot, and she felt soft bandaging covering the area.

_((She mentioned giving you a reward for your hard training, though…let's just look at your back later. Why don't you check the other spots first?)) _

With a mental nod, the little girl turned her hands over to inspect the palms, and found black ink. Etched into her still soft palms were twin stylized suns, with four triangular spikes appearing to come out from two concentric circles.

_((_Tattoos_?!)) _Li exclaimed loudly, Akari cringing as the loudness echoed in her skull. Li quickly toned it down. _((Sorry, Kari-chan. But _tattoos_? You're only two! You shouldn't even have these!))_

_((What're tattoos?)) _Akari questioned idly, looking at her shoulders, which were emblazoned with similar emblems, but with three rings instead of two. Touching them lightly garnered no pain, so she traced the rings as Li spoke.

_((They're images that people write into their skin permanently. They can't be taken off unless with special procedures. Often people get them to look cool or for memories. But that doesn't explain why your mother would suddenly give you one!)) _Li rambled on. _((Not just one, but four! Five if your back is any indication!))_

_((They're like the ones kaa-chan and Ru-nee-san have on their hands. They're really pretty,)) _thought the little girl. _((And they only hurt a little.))_

_((That's not the point!))_ Li fumed. _((She tattooed these things onto a minor and without prior consent! She could have at least asked if you wanted them! Ooh, if your mother could hear me I would tell her to go-)) _

A loud, annoying fuzzy sound covered the following words from Akari's young and impressionable mind, but she got the gist of it. Li continued her static-laden rant as Akari got up, stretched, and padded downstairs to the bathroom.

_((-# %$ $# and sock her in the *#!)) _The rant wound to a close, Li still emanating faint notes of :frustration:. Akari just spat the toothpaste-churned water into the sink and watched it gurgle and flow down the drain.

_((Feelin' better?)) _Li made a grumbling noise and threw up her hands in the air (inasmuch as a bodiless mental being was able to throw their hands up, that is).

_((I still don't like it, but I'll put up with it for now, because so far as I have observed, your mother is a sensible and responsible woman as far as shinobi go, and I don't think she'd just do this out of the blue.))_

_((I'll ask at breakfast.)) _A growling noise rumbled from the little girl's stomach. _((Food first!))_

-risingsun-

"Ohayo, kaa-chan!" Akari chirped, settling down at the table and immediately helping herself to the bowl of fresh porridge that sat at her spot.

A bright voice came from the kitchen, followed by Asagao emerging from the entrance with a glass of water in hand. "Hey there, sunshine! Feelin' good?"

Akari ignored the question and skipped straight to asking. "What's with the little suns on my shoulders? They're pretty."

"Oh, those?" Asagao said cheerily. "Those are your present! I thought since you've been doing so well with training that I could give you those!" She pulled up a chair next to Akari and tugged her own sleeves up to show bare shoulders patterned with the same symbol.

"They're seals of our clan," She explained as a mesmerized Akari traced the rings with chubby fingers. "When you get good enough, the clan elders tattoo them on you. You get more the better you get. I got these," she tapped her bare shoulders, "after I beat all the rest of my cousins in a free-for-all."

"Woah," Akari giggled and clapped her hands. "That's really cool!"

Asagao smiled radiantly. "These seals are made so we can protect our family and loved ones. These ones," she tapped the little girl's shoulders, "are to give yourself armour to defend. The ones on your hands are to make these!"

She brought her palms to face up and pulsed her chakra. Immediately two flat golden discs bloomed into being from her hands. She held them out, letting Akari reach out and touch them.

The little girl marveled. "Chakra?"

Her answer was a grin and a nod. "Exactly, Kari-chan! The seals help us make these things out of our chakra – it helps make them solid. Here, watch this."

Blue eyes slid shut for a moment, and opened again, bright in the glow of the single dome-shaped shield that the kunoichi held up with her palms. Akari applauded loudly. "If you train, you can do stuff like this with them."

With a flick of ink-stained fingers, the shield dissipated, and the radiance left Asagao. "The seals are powered by our clan's special chakra. Remember what I taught you?"

"Yeah, it's nikkoton!"

"Yep! And what does it do?"

"Lets us play with light," she recalled. "But we can't touch light when it's just like that, right?"

Beaming, Asagao nodded. "Exactly, sunshine! Pure nikkoton chakra is good for illusions and lightshows, but it's hard to make solid, so we need the seals to use it well in the physical realm. Unless you're really skilled, but that kind of training takes years and years to master, and most just use the seals now."

She blinked, and three orbs of floating light appeared, lazily hovering around her head. "Pure nikkoton," she pointed at them. Another blink, and a single glowing disc formed, clutched in her right. She tossed it in the air and caught it on the way down, demonstrating its solidity. "Seal nikkoton. Next time we train I'll start showing you how to make some small things, okay?"

Eagerly Akari bobbed her red head. "Okay!"

-risingsun-

It was a dark and rainy night.

It was always rainy in Ame, of course, but today was a particularly bad day for the village. The August wind howled like a wraith's vengeful cry and tore mercilessly at the rust-ridden walls and roofs, sending clothes flying and hurling raindrops down like tiny, freezing bullets that splattered on impact and sent metal ringing with the sheer force. Only the ninja dared venture outside, and those that did wore thick gear or risked returning home with raindrop-bruised bodies. Civilians huddled inside with tiny fires and stifling blankets and attempted to keep warm in the face of stormy wrath.

Akari had been playing in the foyer with Haru when Asagao staggered in through the door, drenched and windswept, terror painted onto her face. She slammed the door shut behind her and leant back against it. Sweat and rainwater mingled and dripped down, forming a puddle on the floor.

Akari looked at her. "Kaa-chan?"

Inside her head, Li inhaled sharply. _((Oh dear.))_

"Go get your tou-chan, sunshine, and tell him we've been found out." Asagao gasped out.

Haru paled. "Shit."

"Don't curse in front of Kari-chan," Asagao chastised breathlessly. "Now get your ass moving and get the wards up. Then get your stuff together, because we're leaving."

Catching onto the atmosphere of panic, Akari nodded and scampered off. Running upstairs, she called out loudly. "Tou-chan, tou-chan!"

Mizushima Ken looked up from where he had been sitting in the bedroom, holding his freshly polished blade. "Sunshine?"

"Kaa, kaa-chan says-" Akari babbled. "We've been found out!"

The blood rapidly left Ken's face, giving it a sickly pallor. Quickly he grabbed his sword and slid it back into its sheath. "Akari-chan, I need you to help me get the scroll stash." He said as he opened the closet and took out a bag. From within it he whipped out a storage scroll, which he activated, and proceeded to stuff all the clothes he could fit inside. "They're in in Haru's room, under her futon, d'you remember? Get them, and bring them to me. I'll be right here."

Akari nodded and frantically ran out and into Haru's room. She shoved the neatly made futon aside with a grunt of effort, revealing a small circle carved into the wood and painted black. She concentrated, willing the warmth to bubble up from within. A tiny ball of light poofed into existence.

_((Concentrate, Kari-chan. This is the easy part.))_

Akari licked her lips, and with a downwards motion of her hand, moved the orb to kiss the circle.

Immediately the paint began to glow, revealing an array of invisible patterns that stretched over the wood. There was a sound like a shrill whine, and then fifteen or so scrolls, all tied up with red and yellow ribbons, appeared in a cloud of smoke.

Akari coughed, swatting the dust away, before gathering the scrolls into her arms. There were a lot of them, almost too much for her small frame, but through force of sheer determination she scooped thirteen up, and stuffed the two smallest into her clothes. Staggering under the combined weight, she resolutely tottered away.

Back in the bedroom, Ken gratefully accepted the scrolls, quickly putting all of them into one scroll that he handed to her to carry. "Go downstairs and give this to your mother." Obediently she took the burden and went.

Downstairs, Asagao and Haru had finished setting up the various assorted wards they had prepared for such a case. Glowing symbols and intricate designs adorned the walls and floors, giving the entire interior of the house an unearthly glow of blue and gold.

As Akari went down, Haru went up, two pairs of feet pitter-pattering and thudding up and down. The little girl skidded into the kitchen, where Asagao, clad in fresh and not-wet clothes, was busy grabbing all the weapons hidden in plain sight. Cleavers and knives she took and placed in sheaths, spreading them along an open scroll in a neat line.

"Okaa-chan!" Akari panted. A blonde head whirled around, still damp from the rain. "Tou-chan said to give you this-" Words came out in a rush as she offered the scroll with outstretched hands.

Asagao took it, inspecting it with the ease of experience, and quickly shoved it into her robes. "Good job, sunshine," she said. "I think we're nearly done here. Go get changed."

Within the next five minutes, Akari had changed into a set of hardy, rain resistant clothes, and Ken and Haru had come down with bags full of scrolls. The adults talked as Haru quickly wrote up a few last protections.

"So who was it?"

"Iwa nuke-nin with the single rogue wolf summon, I think his name was Fujiwara Katsu or something like that."

"When'd you fight him?"

"Years back, as a fresh genin. He was such a loser then, but it looks like he got better since last I saw him. Guess he's thrown his lot in with Ame now."

"Well that's bad news for us, now that he's identified you. How'd he get through your henge?"

"The summon. It's apparently really good at seeing through illusions. By virtue of it being blind, I guess. He had the wolf out, and it barked and ratted me out."

"This is why you shouldn't go around antagonizing summons."

"Well I'm sorry for my child self being a cocky ass."

Haru practically vibrated with jittery tension as she finished the seal she was making, and pasted it on the inside of the bag she carried. With a light pulse of chakra, each seal within the group was activated.

"There, done," She said, voice quieting the conversing pair, leaving only the howling gale and the bang-clang of cold rain on sheet metal outside. "All wards are up and running."

"Everyone got everything? Food, clothes, toiletries, weaponry, seal-making kit?" She received a series of affirmative nods and gestures.

Asagao gave a single nod. "Haru, take the lead; Ken, cover my back." She knelt down, letting Akari clamber onto her back, and held her there with arms behind her. "Let's get out of here."

Haru bobbed her head and quickly composed herself, nimbly manoeuvring the hidden hatch open and shimmying down the ladder, a glow already around her. The elder woman went next, going down carefully and fast as possible with Akari holding on.

Ken, the last, slapped down a final wooden seal tag before getting in and closing the hatch behind him, the seals on it preventing sound from escaping as his large frame went down. On the cold floor, the seal lay, innocent as could be, characters etched and filled in bright red ink.

The wind blew and rattled the roofs. Inside the emptied house, nothing stirred.

-risingsun-

Outside, a pair of steel grey eyes snapped open from under goggles. "They're gone from the house."

A gruff voice replied. "Direction?"

"Northern forest, as far as I can tell." the voice answered, cold as the howling storm. "Seem to have used a hidden path of some sort to get there. Possible teleportation."

The gruff voice laughed. "Ha! Coming from the god damned Morning Glory, I wouldn't be surprised. Hear what the kid said, boys?" He called to the shadowy figures behind him. "Let's move."

Sandal-clad feet left the metal rooftop, spraying water with each blurred step. The hounds closed in.

-risingsun-

Gales whipped water into a churning mass; howling winds prowled the streets and paths. The omen of the coming autumn raged on.

Breathless whispers and footsteps on puddles and wet leaves. Akari clung tight onto her mother, eyes clenched shut tight against the rainy wrath. Her face was buried into the warmth of her mother, the rest of her numb with cold.

"They're coming!" panted Haru. "I can feel them, they're coming!"

"How many?"

"Nine A-classers, all jounin, and there's the wolf summon! They'll be at our spot within ten minutes!"

_((God, how did this all go so wrong?))_

_((Nee-chan, 'm scared…))_

_((Just hang on, Kari. Hang on tight.))_

"Calm down, _imouto_, breathe. Now first things first, set off the-"

A loud, bone-rattling explosion. Three voices swore in unison.

"-Amaterasu help us, they have a _fucking sensor _too don't they-"

"No time, just move! Imouto, set off the flower tags. If they get any closer, use the leaves. Now _go_!"

Footsteps hitting water, inaudible over the fury of the storm above. The hiss of an arrow flying by.

"Shit, they're catching up. They're too fast. How far do you think we are from the village?"

"Forty miles tops, sunshine, what are you planning-"

Suddenly, she felt warm hands moving her around, prying her away from warmth and home and giving her to another. Akari whimpered at the sensation of cold, clinging tight onto the broad chest that now held her. "Kaa-chan…"

"Take my bag, take her, and go. We don't have time."

"Sunshine, _no_-"

A loud howl in the distance, and a gentle laugh. "She is our last hope, remember? Lamplight in the dark, guiding the lost traveler home."

A strangled sob. "Asa-nee-san-"

"I love you, imouto. You're the best healer that the clan has seen in ages, so I need you to look after them for me. Make sure my idiot swordsman doesn't get himself killed, and take care of your niece."

A louder sob, only muffled by sheer force of will. "_Neechan_-"

"Tell her our stories. Tell her about Uzushio, and Yoakeno, and what the seals in her skin are for. Teach her how to call down the sun from the sky and how to guide the lost home safe and sound."

"No no no, you're the one who'll do that, come back here-"

"There is _no other way_. Go already, for fuck's sakes, they're almost here!"

Akari found the strength to move, and opened her eyes to stinging cold rain and a trio of cloaked figures in hiding. Haru-nee-chan was crying, she noticed, fat tears rolling down her cheeks, near indistinguishable from the rainwater. She whispered. "Okaa-chan?"

"Oh, Akari." Two hands held her shoulders as a woman drenched in rain laid a kiss onto her forehead. The feeling of honey and warmth and sunlight washed over her. Asagao spoke, her voice choked. "My brave girl. Be strong for kaa-chan."

Akari whimpered. "Kaa-chan-"

A warm kiss, then the chill of absence as she pulled away. "Take care of your tou-san and nee-san for me, okay? Kaa-chan loves you."

Akari cried quietly. "Love you too, kaa-chan…"

_((Oh god, no…))_

She reached up and kissed the broad-chested man. "Don't forget me, my swordsman."

Ken gave a ragged whisper. "I won't, sunshine. Never."

Asagao smiled. "Good." With that, she stood from where they were crouched. "Now go. I'll hold them off." Tearfully, Haru nodded and with a flicker, dashed away.

Clutched tight in Ken's grip as he sprinted after Haru, the little girl could only watch helplessly over her fathers shoulder as her mother strode out into the pouring rain. "I'm HERE, you goddamn bastards!" She yelled over the screams and howls of the storm. "I'm fucking _here_!"

Ame-nin appeared in the trees, crouching on branches above. One had an arrow nocked in a bow. The leader, a grizzled man with a scar across his brow and a wolf at his side, stepped forward. "Giving up, huh?" Akari barely made out the words.

Asagao gave a bright, fierce grin. "Katsu, wasn't it? Come on then," She beckoned, blue eyes fierce and bright. "and see if you're hard enough."

As the Ame-nin took the invitation and sprung off from their perches, she laughed, high and bright as a bell, ringing throughout the sodden forest. A glow sprung up around her, eyes like radiant stars, casting a million shadows. "Aren't you cold in this dreary rain?" Radiant armor bloomed from her shoulders and knees, translucent and gold. The light danced around her in a frenzy, lashing out in tendrils, striking and countering. "Let me make you a bit _warmer_!"

Overhead, thunder and lightning crackled. The Morning Glory raised a hand to the skies-

_((Shut your eyes, Akari!)) _The voice went unheeded as the little girl stared.

-and with a screech blinding bright stormlight streaked down and struck. She could barely make out the figure of her mother, standing tall in the midst of the explosion.

The boom that followed shook Akari to her core, and she finally shut her eyes, feeling the hot tears leak out as she clutched her father tight. The acrid tang of ozone wafted into her nose and onto her tongue. _((Kaa-chan…))_

There were no more words. The remnants, fleeing with the wind, were too far to hear any now. Only the pouring rain.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

.

.

.

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Across the city, in a florist shop with windows barred shut and doors locked tight against the storm, the youngest daughter of the owner gasped. "Oh no!"

A draft had come in from a loose opening. On the floor, a flower with vibrant blue petals that lightened to yellow-white at its center had been knocked down. The shards of the pot lay scattered on the floor, and a few stray petals had been blown away.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Here is a link: wiki  Morning_glory . The overturned flower is the first image; a Ipomoea nil, otherwise known as a Japanese morning glory, albeit a blue variant. In Hanakotoba, morning glories symbolise willful promises.**_

_**Asagao was discovered by the aforementioned Fujiwara Katsu, who recognized her at the market. She spent an entire day evading him before rushing home during the storm to lose him.**_

_**The Sun Shield Seals are a Yoakeno creation, and were refined when they allied with the Uzumaki and got some help in the design. There will be more of them later on.**_

_**Do you see that beautiful review box down there? It's empty, waiting for your words. Don't leave it hanging!**_


	6. Midday V: Traveller's Masks

_EDIT (26/10/14): Changed Harumori to Shiramori, to fit with a few changes in future. Also corrected a few grammar errors._

_AN: Ho lee shit. +4 reviews, 29 followers, 18 favorites, and over 1000 views! *throws confetti in the air and dances like a maniac* Thank you all so, so much for this wave of support! This is now also a community fic! If you came here from The Butterfly Effect, hi there!_

_This chapter marks the beginning of a new arc, which I have dubbed **Hella Rad**Caravan Adventures. You'll see why in a bit._

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The nation Ame resided in, Ame no Kuni, was radically different from its neighbours. In Ame the rainy season was all year long, giving soggy swamps and forests that drank in water like sponges. But in stark contrast, Kusa no Kuni was a land of neverending grassy and green forest, with clean flowing rivers and the occasional deep and terrifying ravine.

Two days after their escape, the family was making their way through the forest, following a river. Sunlight peeked through the canopy, streaming down in warm sunbeams and dappled light, embracing the trees and plants and dancing on the flowing river water. Birdsong rung through the trees, calling and receiving in a melodious exchange. A listening ear could hear the rustling of movement and animals in the distance.

The sunlight kissed her skin, and her body eagerly absorbed it in. Akari drank it all in, the sights and sounds and the pure, raw beauty of it all. This was her first time outside Ame no Kuni, and bathed in her natural element she shone like a tiny, redheaded star. In the light, she glowed, radiant.

Ken, walking beside her, chuckled as his daughter did a manic little twirl. "Tou-chan, tou-chan!" she chirped. "Lookit this!" She clapped her hands together, and separated them to reveal a glowing ball of light. She did a sweeping gesture with one hand, and the orb flew up to Ken's face, leaving a trail of light in its wake.

"Impressive, sunshine," he commented, smile on his face. Akari gave a mischievous little grin, and clapped her hands once more.

The orb burst into a flash of light, stunning the swordsman momentarily and leaving him blinking stars out of his eyes. "You got me good on that one," he conceded. Akari cheered.

Haru laughed brightly. "Nice one, Akari-chan!" She held a hand out, and the little girl joyfully slapped it. "Asagao would be proud."

Immediately the atmosphere darkened. Akari's eyes dulled and the manic fervor dissipated, as did the orb. Ken, too, switched his mood to sorrowful, hand clutching his blade a little tighter. Haru, realizing who'd she'd just mentioned, similarly stilled, turning her head down. The three stood still for a quiet moment, remembering the wife-sister-mother with golden hair and eyes the colour of a summer sky, whose death was a fresh, raw wound.

Haru shook her head. "Sorry, that was uncalled for. Let's keep moving."

Sadly, the mood was unsalvageable. They continued on down the riverside at a quicker pace, in muted silence.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A period of a day found them continuing their trek through the wood. Dusk was falling, casting the forest into gold and orange shadow. It was a rosy darkness that hung in the air, dancing merrily with every movement that occurred, whether they be animal or plant or human. A gentle breeze flowed through the trees, rustling leaves and grass and carrying the scent of bark and leaves with it. The chirping of unseen crickets rang through the woods. In the distance, predators stalked fleeing prey.

This part of the wood had a beaten dirt path that ran through it, wide enough to allow caravans of traders or civilians through it. The family came across it as they made their way through the tree branches.

Crouched on a tree branch, Haru called out to the other two. "There's a road over there. I think there's a caravan coming along."

"People?" Akari said hopefully from where she hung, glowing faintly with the last light of the day, off the underside of a thick, topmost branch. Ken watched attentively from a branch directly below, ready to catch her if she fell. "Real people? Not just the animals?"

"I think so. It certainly feels like it." Akari cheered.

Ken shushed her. "We've been going for quite a while, so we can try to hitch a ride to the nearest village and go from there." He said, eliciting a repeated cheer from Akari. He chuckled amusedly.

"Shall we go and position ourselves, then?" asked Haru.

"Yeah," he nodded, "but put on a henge, keep your chakra in tight and don't give yourself away, alright?"

"Gotcha," she shot him a thumbs up and hopped off. The quiet sound of her feet hitting the grassy floor was accompanied by the changing of her entire appearance. Her eyes she had muted and turned a dark blue, to match Ken's, and her hair had darkened to a chocolate brown. Her facial features had changed as well, cheekbones shifting and nose going just a bit crooked. Combined with the unassuming, simple clothes she was wearing, and the bag over her shoulder, she could easily pass for a traveler through the Kusa woods.

"Akari, time to come down," Ken coaxed.

"Aww," Akari pouted, but the blue sticking her feet to the bark receded and she fell into her father's waiting arms. With a nimble jump, he leapt off, and when he hit the ground, his blue hair had turned brown, and skin had darkened to a more tan shade. Akari too was changed, the illusion tanning her skin, and giving her dark brown hair and eyes blue as her father's. All in all, they looked like a perfectly ordinary family of civilian travelers.

He put the changed girl down, letting her marvel over her new appearance as he rearranged his things to appear as innocuous as possible.

"They're right around the corner," Haru whispered quietly. Indeed, you could hear the creaking of wood and the clop-clop of cloven feet on earth. The faint sound of laughter and chattering voices followed it. She passed a crimson armband to Ken, and leaned down to tie a small necklace around Akari's neck. "Ready?"

"As we'll ever be," Ken replied, slipping the red cloth onto his arm.

"Ready to go!" Akari chirped as lowly as she could, brushing a stray leaf out of her hair and toying with the wooden pendant that hung from the string. It was etched with the Yoakeno clan symbol – four concentric rings, with four triangles jutting out from four sides, resembling the sun. She tucked it into her clothes.

_((Chakra reined in, Akari,))_ Li reminded softly. _((The pendant may mask your chakra as ordinary, but that doesn't mean you can let it flare like that. Compress it down to civilian level.))_

_((Oops,))_ Akari replied sheepishly, concentrating and squishing her energy within the confines of her body, taking care to not let any seep out. _(('kay, there.))_

With that, the trio strode out into the brush on the edges of the road. The caravan was within sight now, warm light emanating from the carts. A dark-haired man rode bareback on the red-furred elk pulling the first cart, head bowed to the horse's ears and lips moving with unheard words. Behind the first cart, six more rolled on, towed by eight more elk, and several more people walked with them.

Haru waved a hand out and called, Ken quickly following suit. "Heeeeey!"

The man at the front looked up, eyes almost lighting up at the sight of them. "Hey, guys!" he turned around and called behind him. "We got stray travelers here!"

Several heads poked out of each cart, all varying shades of brightness. The men with the elk looked up, and with a few whispered words the elk slowed and came to a halt where the disguised trio were. The man who had spoken slipped easily off his mount, which easily towered over him by two heads. Now that they were close enough, Akari could make out green eyes and fine features, slightly rough and scarred at the edges.

"State your name and business, please." said the first man.

"I'm Ken," introduced the swordsman, giving a short bow and swiftly weaving a cover. "This is Haru, and Akari," he gestured at each in turn. Haru inclined her head respectfully. Akari, intimidated by the towering beast, chose to hide behind Ken's leg, clinging tight.

"We're just passing through to the next village," Ken continued. "Would you allow us to travel with you until your next stop?"

The first man appraised them with an eagle eye, taking in the clothes, the dark hair, the sword at the man's side, the small innocent child. You could see the gears whir in his head as he processed what he saw. He shrugged and nodded. "Ah, what the heck. We've got room for a dad and his kids for a while. Come on over here," he beckoned them over.

Gratefully, the trio waded out of the brush, Ken hoisting Akari up and carrying her over the grasp of the blades of grass. "Thank you, mister…?" Haru bowed and trailed off.

"You can call me Shin," the man smiled. "You can go over into the cart here," he signaled to the cart behind him. "We're heading for the river to set up camp for the night first. It'll be a few days before our next stop, so I suggest you sit tight and let that little girl of yours get some rest."

"Thank you for your hospitality, Shin-san," Ken bowed low.

Akari mimicked him, almost tipping over with how low she tried to bow. "Arigato, Shin-san!" she chirped brightly, playing up the cute little girl card for all it was worth.

Shin's eyes softened and his smile widened a little. "No problem, kid. Get in. Manami'll put you up with you girls for the night. Ken-san and Haru-san, right?" He received two nods. "Any good with that sword of yours, Ken-san?"

Ken nodded. "I'm a swordsman by trade, Shin-san. If you want me to help guard this caravan, I'll help you."

Shin smiled. "Good then, you'll be in the last cart with the boys. What about you, Haru-san? Anything you can do?"

Haru bit her lip, mentally searching for a believable cover to spin. "Umm…well, I trained in medicine a while, so I can patch up anyone who needs help." She said.

"Excellent!" Shin grinned. "Walk with me a while up here first, if you two would. Hey, Nami-san!" he hollered behind him. "Open up the door, we've got a kid here!"

A red head poked out of the window. "Well why didn't you say so!" she replied, obviously delighted. The door to the cart opened. With that, Shin ushered the little girl over, hoisting her up and into the waiting arms of the red-haired woman - (_(Manami,))_ Li whispered- who carried her effortlessly and deposited her inside.

The cart was made of sturdy wood on the outside, and its floor and ceiling reflected this. A bamboo mat was rolled out on the floor. To the right and left, long seats jutted out, nailed into the wood and decorated with blankets and pillows. Overhead, various glowing orbs dangled on a thin rope, a string of lights hung up around the perimeter of the ceiling. Three other children sat inside the cart, two boys and a girl, who ceased their chatting to ogle the newcomer.

Manami gently dropped Akari onto a cushion, the little girl making a soft 'oof' sound as she hit the fluffy cloth. "Well then, little one!" the woman said cheerily, bright blue eyes twinkling. She shut the door and turned. "What's your name?"

"'m Akari," the little girl mumbled, giving a small bow. "Thanks for letting us stay, Manami-san!"

The woman waved a hand. "Psssh, it's Shin-chan's decision, not mine. And call me Nami-san, okay? Manami makes me feel old."

A voice coughed and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "That's because you _are_ old."

There was an abrupt shift in atmosphere as the shadows on the redheaded woman's face darkened. Her long hair began to move, crimson snakes twisting and writhing eerily as a black aura of pressure weighed down on all present. She turned her head around to face the three children, who simultaneously paled. "What did you say?"

_((Scary woman,))_ Li grinned. _((I like her!))_

_((I wanna learn the hair trick,))_ Akari thought through the haze of utter terror.

"N-no-nothing!" A blue-haired girl laughed nervously, face pasty white. "Someone just coughed, that's all, we swear!"

"Y-yeah, Nami-neechan!" her brother stuttered next to her, looking as if he was under threat of death (which he was). "Nothin' at all!"

The woman narrowed her eyes, then smiled. The aura faded away, and all present let out a collective breath of relief. "Alright then!" The woman said brightly. "Don't do it again, _or I'll make sure you don't live to cough another word._"

The three jumped. Akari found herself almost leaping up as well. "Y-yes, neechan!" they chorused. "Never again!"

Manami beamed. "Good!" She turned back to the little newcomer. "I'm sorry for that, Akari-chan! These kids can be such idiots sometimes!" She laughed, sending a shiver down the spines of all the children. "Speaking of which, where are your manners, you little brats? Introduce yourselves to Akari-chan here!"

"…" The trio looked at each other and had a silent conversation, ending with the girl piping up. "I'm Misora," she said, sky blue hair still a little frizzed up and grey eyes haunted.

"Raiichi," The boy opposite her muttered, flattening his agitated blue hair down. He blinked with eyes the colour of stormclouds. "I'm this idiot's twin brother," he gestured back at Misora, who bristled.

"Hey!" She snapped. "You're the idiot here!"

The last boy, with red hair a shade darker than Manami's and bright blue eyes, smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "I'm sorry for these guys," he apologized. "They're kinda stupid all of the time. It's like their brains don't function like normal people's," he said, sunnily insulting the two beside him, who glared at the offender. "Thing is, they're both scared stiff of Nami-neechan, so if they try to bully you, just go to her, okay? She'll sort them out. It's really funny to watch, actually!" He laughed merrily. If looks could kill, he would be twice dead by now. "I'm Kaito, by the way."

Akari giggled. "You guys are funny," she declared. "I like you!"

A voice yelled from outside. "Let's get moving!"

Suddenly the whole cart jerked, sending all five occupants bouncing with the motion. Manami blew her hair out of her face. "Looks like we're back on track!" She said. "Just get comfortable, Akari-chan, it'll only be a little bit before we set up camp."

Wooden wheels went round and round, rattling on mossy earth outside. Akari curled up into Manami-san's side, decided these were some nice people, and let her eyes slip close with the sinking sun.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"So," Shin said. "What're you doin' in this part of the woods?"

The dark-haired man walked with a casual air, one hand looped over the neck of the elk. Ken and Haru trailed beside him, keeping their steps aligned. Behind them, the carts rolled on in a line into the fading sun.

"We were hoping to go visit some family over in Hi no Kuni," Ken lied smoothly. "We came from the direction of Iwa, y'see, and it's gotten pretty dangerous around there. My folks invited us to go and stay with them, and we only just accepted. Of course, we got a little sidetracked while going through this way."

"Thank you again for letting us travel with your group, Shin-san," Haru said. "Nii-san and I heard about bandits lurking in these woods, and we've got Akari-chan with us, so when we saw your caravan heading through here we thought it would be best if we hitched a ride until the next stop."

Shin nodded. "Reasonable explanations. So, do tell me…"

He blinked once, and his eyes glazed over with white, two dark diamond shapes appearing under his pearlescent orbs. He stared at them, unseeing eyes seemingly gazing through the illusions and seeing their true forms.

"Why're a pair of ninja posing as civilians?" The two froze, every lie they had spun unravelling rapidly with that single pointed question. They nearly collided with the cart, and quickly shook off the shock and walked forward.

Ken blew out a long breath. "Shiramori. God damn." He chuckled. "Never thought I'd see one of you again. Simple henge never stood a chance."

Shin grinned, baring his teeth. The white in his eyes receded and left vibrant green. "No, it really didn't. Now, I would appreciate a reiteration of name and origin, if ya please. "

"I am Mizushima Ken," Ken stated clearly. "Ame nuke-nin. The girl in the cart is my daughter, Mizushima Akari."

"I'm Mizushima Haru," the girl said, relaxing at Ken's calmness. "Also an Ame nuke-nin, and this man's little sister-in-law."

"Mizushima, huh?" Shin replied with a persisting, menacing smile. "The clan of the Seven Swords of old, if I remember correctly. What're you doing so far from that wet-ass country?"

"Me and my wife settled in Ame before the civil war started." Ken explained, half-truths spilling from his lips. "When it struck up, we were wanted by both sides, but we didn't support either. Too dangerous, with Akari. So we fled the fighting."

"My sister died when we ran," Haru continued quietly, looking down and biting her lip. "And here we are now, three days later."

Shin scrutinized their faces, and the smile faded. "These people are under my protection." He stated lowly. "If either of you try anything against them, I will tear you apart and feed you to the wolves."

Ken inclined his head. "And if you try to harm my baby girl, I will eviscerate you slowly and painfully."

The Shiramori's answering smile was sharp as a knife. "We have an agreement then. We'll get you out of Kusa and into Hi no Kuni, as long as you both help to keep my people safe while we get there." He stuck out a hand.

Ken took it. "Deal."

The darkness receded from Shin's face, and he smiled genuinely. "Well then, we're burning twilight. Let's get moving faster!" he yelled behind him, receiving a chorus of answering calls.

He turned to the pair of fugitives. "Ya might wanna hop onto the roof. Don't wanna break your cover, do we?"

"No, we do not," Ken agreed, already clambering up the side of the cart, Haru following close behind. Shin hopped onto the massive elk, and with a whisper into long ears the great beast picked up his pace immediately. As the carts began to move faster into the disappearing sunlight, the pair thought of sunlight and flowers, and held on.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_AN: Just to clarify things, Haru took on Ken's family name because the Yoakeno clan is kind of feared, and it wouldn't do to have these nice, harmless civilians get the wrong idea. Ha ha ha._

_The Mizushima, as exposited in this chapter, are a clan of swordsmen and women from Kiri. As they are Akari's other heritage, they'll be showing up later on. On a similar note, the Shiramori are an OC clan I've made up. Shin's white eyes will be explained in the next chapter, but for now, just know that they are absolutely nothing like the Byakugan._

_To Ceralyn - Thanks for the review! I will be torturing these characters a fair bit in the near future, but for now Akari's gonna grow up with her family by her side. I do have this tagged Family, after all._

_To DragonStar22 - At this point of time in the story, Hanzo the Salamander reigns over Ame, and the Second Shinobi World War has ended. It's vague, I know._

_To Morphene - Thanks! The Yoakeno fled with the fall of Uzushio. Asagao and her baby sister just so happened to run a little farther than most. Don't worry, there will be lots and LOTS of worldbuilding coming up. Hooray! Along with loads of exposition. H-hooray?_

_To Archer the Undreamed - ASSJFKLD;AJFKL;A MAN THANKS SO MUCH. Senpai's words mean so much to me. There will be development of the other folk in future, but I'm currently focused on developing Akari as a character._

_Next chapter: THE REST OF THE CARAVAN PEEPS ARE ALSO TERRIFYING._


	7. Midday VI: Dusk By The River I

_AN: I'm sorreeeee this is so lateeeee and so shoooort (TnT) Writer's block and school hit me harder than a speeding bullet train. This chapter took a whole month to churn out, and it was awful. On the brighter side, HO LEE FUCKING SHIT WHERE DID ALL OF YOU PEOPLE COME FROM. 4000+ views, 70 followers, 56 favorites, 4 communities, and 15 REVIEWS! :D Thank you all so, so much!_

* * *

><p>Gentle hands took the small body and shook it. The little girl groaned, mind beginning to come back into clarity.<p>

"Hey, hey, Akari-chan. We're nearly there, it's time to get up."

Snapping back into hazy lucidity, Akari blinked her eyes blurrily. Dusk was nearly gone, she noted, knowing without seeing it, feeling the warmth of the sun leave her bones. It left her cold and numb. She shivered and blindly buried herself into a warm side. "Coooold." She mumbled into rough cloth. The body clothed by it chuckled and picked her up with warm hands.

"Aww, you're adorable," the voice cooed. "C'mon, you need to get dinner before you can sleep s'more."

"We're gonna make hot stew!" piped up another voice, young and childish, but masculine. "No-one wants to miss hot stew, so if you don't get up, there won't be any left!"

Akari thought of heat on her tongue and a radiant woman. Without the sunlight there to fill her up, she was left an empty void, cold and hollow and lonely. She wished for bright smiles and bell-like laughter and the warmth of the sun in her veins. A whimper bubbled up in her throat and caught there.

_((Don't dwell on it, Kari,))_ Li soothed gently. _((There'll be time for mourning later. When we're safe and far, far away from Ame. But for now…)) _

She opened her eyes to red hair and bright green eyes. "There ya go!" Manami said cheerfully. "Get up, get up! We're just about here!" As she said this, there was a yell from Shin from outside, which made the cart slowly, as it skittered over earth and rocks, come to a halt. Akari yawned and sat up, rubbing the sleep dust out of her eyes. Opposite her, Raiichi and Misora had gotten up from their seats and were already opening the door to sneak out behind Manami's back, while Kaito grinned cheerfully at her. She recognized him as the voice from earlier, and smiled back sleepily.

"Now that we've stopped, you can meet the rest of the family!" the redheaded boy said cheerily, holding out a hand, which she took. It was rough, with the beginning of calluses forming. "You're gonna love meetin' 'em, they're great!"

Manami patted both of the children on the head, as the twins ran out the open door behind her. "Kaito-kun, take good care of our guest, alright?" She smiled. "I'm gonna go help set up camp, but I'll be back to find you in a bit. Go find those damn twins and bring 'em to their momma, got it?"

"Okay!" Kaito beamed. Akari felt herself smile in response. With a cheerful wave, the redheaded woman was out the door, the cool night wind blowing in her wake. A short tug from Kaito, and the two children were stood up. She followed as he took her by the hand and led her out into the dusk.

The clouds in the sky above were painted in cool, dark shades, which gently spread out from where, just below the horizon, the sun was sinking, taking light with it and leaving chill night air. A breeze blew through the branches, the leaves rustling and whispering like living creatures. Below them, people scurried back and forth; carrying things, setting up tents, cooking furiously, and all talking and laughing happily as they did so, with the sense of familiarity and ease that comes with family. Warmth radiated off them, like a fire in a hearthplace. Akari felt it caress her skin, sink in deep through flesh and bone. Involuntarily she moved towards them, eyes wide and drinking in the sight.

A tug on her hand jerked her out of her haze. Kaito looked at her with a concerned gaze. "Hey, you okay? You sorta went…" He made a funny face and performed a complicated gesture with his hands that consisted mainly of flapping them about like a demented bird. "Like that."

Akari blinked, rubbed her eyes, and giggled. "S'okay! 'm fine, see?" She spread her hands and imitated his motions, getting a laugh out of the cheery boy.

He took her by the hand, warm skin touching skin. "C'mon, let's go and get Rai 'n' Sora first! We'll come back here when they're done cooking the stew. They're prolly at the back."

They made their way towards the end of the procession, weaving through passing caravan members, who Kaito stopped to greet in his cheerful childish manner and introduce to the lethargic Akari, whispering humorous anecdotes in the girl's ear all the while.

"Hi, Haruka-nii!" A dark-haired young man with scars crisscrossing across his bare arms grinned and waved. "Don't ever let 'Ruka-nii near the stew until everyone else has got some first. Family Rule No. 23. Cause 'Ruka-nii likes to eat lots." "

Kido-nee! Food's getting ready!" A girl with long green locks and burn scars everywhere but her pale face nodded quietly, footsteps ghosting by. "Kido-nee's really quiet. If you take your eyes off her for one second, she just goes poof like a ghost!"

A blond boy ran by, with cat-like pupils and an old scar peeking out from his shirt. "That's Kano-nii. Kido-nee calls him Bakakano. He's probably looking for her right now. One time I had to go lookin' for 'em and-" Here he whispered loudly, "-I found them kissing in a tree!" Akari made a 'yeuch' noise in agreement. "I know, right!"

_((You don't get to do that till you turn twenty at least, young lady,))_ Li frowned.

_((Eeew, why would I wanna? That's gross.))_ Li only chuckled in reply.

"Seto-niichan!" A boy with dark locks and a tiny bird on his shoulder grinned as he ran past the pair. "Seto-nii likes animals a lot. He's Shin-nii's little brother. The nicest guy in the whole family ever!" He nodded firmly. "It's defiantly him!" Akari refrained from mentioning that the word was 'definitely' and not 'defiantly'. It might hurt his feelings.

"Momo-nee!" A blonde girl with a smile on her pretty face swept past them in a swirl of bright colours and jangling bangles around her wrists. "She sings really nice. She's Shin-nii and Seto-nii's little sister. Once she brought a boy back to the caravan and they scared him so bad he turned white and ran off like a big wimp! I helped too!" He puffed up with pride at this.

"Shion-baachan!" A willowy woman with flowing tresses of white and bright red eyes, clad in a simple dress that only served to enhance her graceful beauty. She smiled gently and walked past in a swish of cloth. "Shion-baa's the nicest girl in the family! If you get your clothes torn 'cause you went out explorin', just go to her and she'll fix 'em like whoosh!" He made a series of gestures that were essentially wavy hand motions. "She won't even ask what you were doing and get you in big trouble! She's really cool."

Name after name after name, with face after face after face, Green-brown-blue-black eyes, black-red-green-blue-brown-blond hair, pale and tan and young and old, they all blended together in Akari's mind, into a misshapen being. Fortunately, Li was good with faces – she'd remember them for her.

Finally, after much metting-and-greeting, they came to the last cart, which was simply a wooden vessel with a heavy tarp covering several barrels. Several people surrounded it, all in varying degrees of alertness. A boy with a blue hooded jacket stood a ways away, keeping one watchful eye on the forest and another on the pretty brunette clad in black and pink robes, who was perched on the edge of the cart and chatting with the pair of blue-haired twins beside her.

The girl looked up as the pair approached, bright red eyes blinking lazily with a smile spreading from her lips. "Oh, it's Kai-chan," she drawled out, crossing a leg over her knee. "And a cute little kid," She continued, eyes now focusing on the disguised child. "Who's your little girlfriend, Kai-chan?"

"This is 'Kari-chan!" The boy said cheerily, nudging the girl forward to face the red-eyed girl. "'Kari-chan, this is Hiyori-neechan!"

"Hi," Akari gave a tiny yawn and smiled drowsily. "I'm Akari."

The girl raised a slender eyebrow and smiled. "Aren't you adorable." She dragged the syllables like they were liquid sliding from her thin lips. She slipped off her comfy perch in a fluid motion, crouched down to the little girl's level and extended a petite hand. "Nice to meet you, Akari-chan." she said.

Akari took the hand tentatively, and shook it. "Nice t' meetcha too," she replied.

Hiyori smirked and patted her on the head. "Cute," she said, and stood up, taking the twins by the shoulders. "Does Nami-neechan want these two?" Kaito nodded.

"Kasa-bachan wants them, she says." He beamed at the two, who sighed in resignment and grumbled under their breaths. "Thanks for keepin' an eye on 'em!" He chirped.

Hiyori laughed. "Anytime, Kai-chan." She ruffled his red hair. "Call us when the food's ready, m'kay?"

"O-kay!" The redheaded boy did a mock salute. He took the twins by their hands and dragged them off, Akari trailing behind him, leaving the pair to their watch.

* * *

><p>Hiyori waited until all four children were out of range before slinking over to the blue jacket-clad boy with all the grace of a cat. She murmured under her breath.<p>

"Feel 'em?"

Under the hood, a head inclined ever so slightly.

"A baker's dozen at least, by my count."

She put her hands into her sleeves, feeling the comforting touch of cold steel on the skin of her fingers.

"Leave 'em alone for now. If they come, we can take 'em."

In the wood, crickets chirped serenely. The crackling sounds of feet on dead leaves echoed faintly in the trees. Silently, the red-eyed girl and the blue-clad boy waited.

* * *

><p><em>AN: If you recognised all the characters who I kidnapped forcefully from their universe, you earn ten internet cookies and a cameo in the fic. To all you lovely reviewers, thank you for your feedback! <em>

_-sanystyle: Thank you! The Asahigan and the Nikkoton are the Yoakeno trademark, and we'll be seeing more of it as the story progresses._

_-sonyat: *hops around gleefully* _

_-Kain Everguard: The timeline I'm leaving a vague and mysterious mystery for now. You'll see where we are when I choose to reveal it in story._

_-Nessie: :D_

_-Guest: May I ask what exactly you thought was pretentious, you confoundingly vague asshat?_

_-Ms Lilly: Ahahaha, if Asagao's death managed to move you then my job here is done._

_-ChocoGummies: Your username is adorbs :) It's updated now!~ (after a terribly long break)_

_-the Marysue Murderess: (O/O) Oh my gosh, you write Visibility Zero! I love that fic! You are a great writer. Thanks for reviewing this!_

**Next time on Rising Sun: We finally get some of that stew. Also more of the caravan crew!**


	8. Midday VII: Dusk By The River II

_AN: AHHH 7000+ VIEWS AND 25 REVIEWS I LOVE THE WORLD. Thank you all for your feedback! This chapter took a while coming. Life has kept me busy. If I skip June's update, please know that it is because of stupid exams. :(_

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><p>Kaito hummed cheerily as they walked back the way they came, a simple lighthearted melody that looped seamlessly and stood out against the chirping of crickets and the wind-rustled leaves. At his sides, Misora and Raiichi dragged their feet, occasionally jumping into the song with spontaneous little harmonies or adding their childish voices to his.<p>

Akari only half-listened to the sweet song, eyelids drawn down by the oppressive weight of the night, unaided by the warmth of the sun. She dragged her sandal-clad feet, tottering from side to side as she fought to stay alert. A few yawns escaped her throat.

As they drew closer to the riverside, where the camp had been set up, the heat of the gathered warmth thrummed in Akari's bones like she was coming home. Under the first stars of the night, a steadily burning cooking fire blazed under a massive metal pot, where a great mass of bubbling, murky stew boiled, tended to by a woman and a teenage boy. A table had been set up off to the side, where several cooks worked to prepare various ingredients to add to the broth. The thud of knives on wood shook the earth slightly, as mushrooms and leaves and meat and other things went in with satisfying plop noises. The fragrant scent of herbs and spices, mixed with the rich scent of meat, drifted on the breeze, making everyone who smelt it salivate.

Around the cauldron, several boulders and fallen logs had been rolled or carried over to form a ring of seats, where a few caravan members were sitting down and resting, tired from a long day's walk. Others lingered around the area, leaning against tree trunks and wooden cart sides and chatting with their fellows.

_((Fooood…))_ Akari drooled, salivating at the tantalising scent of hot stew.

Li chuckled. _((Hungry kid. It doesn't look like the stew's ready yet, so you might as well follow Kaito around until you find your father, alright?))_

_((Mm'kay,))_ Akari stifled a yawn with a sleeve._ ((Where d'ya think tou-chan is?))_

_((Not sure, but you could check with Shin-san where he's gone. He was with him last I remember. Ask the others where Shin is,))_ Li suggested. She gave a sigh. _((Your mindscape is a mess. I'll be in the back cleaning up the debris. If you need anything, I'll come.))_ Li gave the mental impression of a smile, and drew back from the forefront of Akari's mind, her presence seeping out from her conscious and into the depths of her mindscape, leaving the girl alone to her own thoughts.

"Kaaaaari." A blurry shape moved in her field of vision, resolving into a small hand that waved in front of her eyes as she blinked dazedly. Kaito frowned, worried for his new friend who was also his responsibility and if Manami found out she'd been sick under his watch she'd go all scary on him and he really really didn't want that. "Wow, you're really tired, huh? You gotta stay awake for now, you haven't gotten any stew yet!"

He wound an arm under the little girl's shoulders, supporting her as she staggered and stumbled about, imitating how his family helped each other when they were fatigued. Akari smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "'S okay, Kai-san-" her jaw cracked open in a wide yawn, "we walked lots today, 'm fine."

"But you're still bein' really slow," Raiichi pointed out bluntly. "Just let 'im carry you, you're laggin' behind." The girl conceded sleepily, leaning into the redhead. Kaito beamed, and carefully they made their way over to the first cart.

Leaning against the wood, Shin was reclined lazily as he talked with the gray-haired woman by his side. Ken was stood opposite them, also a part of the discussion. Akari sleepily noted that Haru was nowhere to be found.

The blue-haired swordsman looked up as they approached, eyes briefly flickering over the group before focusing on his daughter. Alarm rose in brown eyes as he strode forward with a touch of urgency. Akari nudged the others to let her go, and she tottered over to her father, clinging to his leg. "Tou-chan," she mumbled sleepily, a smile on her face. "Made friends!"

Ken chuckled, relaxing slightly. Rough hands gently scooped her up into his arms. "You sure did, honey." Akari ignored the niggling edge of dissonance that came with the different pet name - they were in disguise, after all, it was okay.

Shin and the other woman halted their discussion and turned to look at the new arrivals. The young man grinned. "Man, Ken-san, how long were you walking? Your girl's really tired."

"Ah, Kari-chan doesn't get to go to new places much, so the new sights overwhelmed her." Ken replied. He patted her on the back as she buried her face in the rough cloth of his hakama, breathing in the scent of rain with that salty tang that permeated all his clothes.

The woman spoke. Her voice was light with youth, but calm and mature in its tone; the words, on the other hand, rang out like a death call. "Raiichi, Misora."

The two flinched. The woman managed to look smug without moving a single facial muscle.

She continued. "I heard you two were the ones who wrote on Ametatsu's forehead."

They winced. Raiichi bit his bottom lip; Misora averted her eyes. You could see the collective 'shit' go through their minds.

The latter spoke up first. "Wasn't our fault he was snoozin' so deep," she mumbled, twining a strand of hair round a finger. "If he'd gotten more sleep 'nstead a makin' kissy faces at Tsuki, then he wouldn'a gotten pranked."

The frown lines deepened. "That does not excuse getting caught so easily." She sighed. "I thought I taught you better than that, children. You know the rule."

The twins winced again. "Sorry, kaa-san."

"It's not me you'll be apologising to, it's Tatsu. You two'll be taking over washing-up duty for the next two days, plus both of you will have to string his bow for the whole week."

The two muttered in unison. "Kuso." The woman smacked them both over the head.

"No cursing! That's both your allowances halved for the next town we hit." The two groaned. Shin and Kaito both laughed at the comedy act; Ken chuckled quietly while Akari smiled into his shouder.

"'M hungry," Akari lifted her head up to make a sleepy comment. "C'n we go get stew now?"

"Sure thing, honey," The swordsman gently shifted her around so that he was now giving her a piggyback ride, both of her arms wound round his strong neck and her face buried in one shoulder.

"Stew!" Kaito cheered in assent, running up to walk beside the tall man. "Let's go let's go let's go!"

The swordsman laughed. "Akari-chan, you wanna introduce me while we walk?"

"'Mmkay." She waved a hand to gesture at the redheaded boy. "Tha'ss Kai-kun. H's nice. Say hi, Kai-kun."

Kaito beamed. "Nice ta meetcha, oji-san! Kari's super nice."

Ken chuckled. "I should think so. And call me Ken-san, kid, I'm not that old yet." Akari privately mused how he echoed Manami's sentiments. Some adults didn't seem to like being called old. Kaito began humming a little tune to himself.

The little girl gestured at the two blue-haired siblings, who were currently walking sullenly alongside their mother. "Th't's Rai-kun 'n' Sora-chan. They're funny." Akari gave a tiny giggle to herself. "And th'r kaa-san's name's…" She bit her lip and made a noise of contemplation, "...umm, Kasa-ba-san!" She giggled again. "There's a whooole buncha people here, touchan!"

"Mmhmm," Ken rumbled, smiling. The smell of stew wafted on the night breeze, gently creeping in and filling the air with the savory aroma of spices and meat. Stomachs rumbled appreciatively; Akari perked up from her lethargy and licked her lips.

They walked into the clearing. The warm atmosphere of laughter and hot food and family immediately assaulted the little girl, and the familiar feeling sank deep into her bones once more. People were sat around the fire, holding bowls in hands and talking with friends. Akari could see brown-green-blonde-black-gray heads; eyes the colour of steel and skies and sunlight off forest leaves; family eating, playing, smiling together. She thought of her mother again, and let the sentiments warm her.

Heat thrummed in her veins; the dark cold was leaving her. Akari tapped her father insistently on the cheek with one hand, and obligingly he released his arms, letting her clamber down from his broad back to land on solid ground. "I thought you were tired, Kari?"

Akari hummed. a cheeky little grin on her face. "Food f'rst," she reminded him. "'Sides, you're movin' _slooow_." This earned a mock offended huff from Ken, and a giggle from Kaito, who grabbed her hand.

"C'mon, hurry, stew's over there! I can see Haruka-nii already!" With a tug the two ran forward, Akari giving a wave to an amused father and scampering off with her new friend.

* * *

><p>The swordsman watched his daughter go with a smile, staying in his spot for a while, breathing in the cool night air. Then he turned and headed for where his sister-in-law's energy pulsed, contained by sealwork and her own self-control.<p>

Haru was talking with two caravan members, both boys her age and evidently absolutely smitten with her. The young kunoichi smiled, playing her unknowing informants like well-tuned instruments with every demure word and gentle smile. Her bell-like laughter tinkled _(so much like her sister's, the thought was brushed aside with a pang of loss_), henge'd-brown hair golden and blue eyes bright in the firelight.

"Imouto!" Ken called out. Haru turned and beamed at him, the boys with her looking towards the swordsman as well and paling slightly at his broad figure and the sheathed blade strapped to his side. Good, the swordsman thought, with a touch of malice, be very afraid.

"Ken-nii!" The girl grinned, a slight undertone of relief at having a familiar face to speak to. "Oh, it is good to see you. Guys, meet my brother-in-law! Nii-san, this is Kenta-" she gestured at the one on her right with bark-brown hair and blue eyes, then at the other with dark black hair and red eyes, "-and Ichiro."

The man's smile was all teeth. "Pleasure to meet you boys." He extended a calloused hand in a show of good cheer. They shook in their boots all the same.

After a few moments in which Ken smiled menacingly and the duo quivered in fear, Ichiro visibly steeled himself, red eyes steely as his shaking lessened. "Ken-san," he bowed low, denoting his respect towards the guardian figure of the girl he wished to court. Ken would admit he felt entirely smug knowing that his acts were all in vain. "Your sister is the finest woman I have ever had the privilege of meeting. Not sure about this guy over here-" he nudged the other in the ribs and was rewarded with a scowl, "-he's kind of a super-romantic, ya see, always fallin' head-over-heels for the first pretty face he sees-"

Blue eyes scrunched up as the boy puffed up in indignation. "Hey!"

"-but he really has the best intentions at heart. And really," he finished off with a flourish, "your sister deserves only the purest of affections." He looked up hopefully. "So would you mind terribly if we showed her around?"

The other gave the speaker a discreet punch to the stomach with a disgruntled look on his face, whispering under his breath. "What kind of a wingman are you, you bastard?"

Ken had to give it to him; the kid had style. "Hate to break it to you, but that's all Haru's decision. You can suck up to me later, right now you need to be kissing my little sister's feet and showering her in rose petals." He grinned.

Haru's cheeks were steadily turning a pinkish colour, but her words were steady and carried the same light demeanour she had been giving the whole time. "I would love it if you two showed me the caravan!" She smiled brightly. The swordsman could see the gears whirring in her head, the puppeteer at its centre merrily dancing with the strings; he silently sent a prayer for their souls. He'd seen this happen many times before in Amegakure.

Her stomach grumbled, and she flushed even brighter. "Why don't we start with dinner first, though?"

There were honest-to-Kami hearts in their eyes; another two more boys to add to Yoakeno Haru's growing harem of young admirers. "Of course!" said the brown-haired one. "Right this way, Haru-san! Tonight's food is pretty good, we managed to get a lot of supplies from the last town and we're pretty well-stocked…" He jabbered on inanely, already moving forward with his friend at his side.

Haru giggled quietly, lagging behind to whisper to him. "Why didn't you tell them that it's entirely up to me and they didn't have to kiss ass," she hissed harshly.

Ken grinned, completely shame-free. "I like it when people show respect. Never got much from you, at any rate," he poked her on the forehead. She scowled darkly.

"Cause I've known you since you were a bumbling fool awkwardly trying to keep up with my impossibly terrifying sister. And while I can't blame you too much for it, you did some really stupid things during then, mister," she whispered back. "Remember that one time you nearly got yourself killed trying to get those rare flowers from the ass-end of Hi no Kuni-"

Ken clapped a hand over her mouth _(his heart throbbed painfully; he ignored it, don't think about it right now)_. "We swore we would never speak of that again."

Haru pried it off with an annoyed frown. "Hah, in your dreams. Anyways, don't pick on them too much," she said. "They're nice guys and I like them. They're pretty much how you were when you were..." She trailed off for a moment, uncomfortably, "...wooing Asa. Also they've been feeding me hilarious anecdotes about the rest, and_ IthinksomeofthepeoplearefromUzushio."_

Ken blinked. "Say what?"

The Yoakeno took a deep breath and spoke softly, firelight dancing off her hair, eyes shining bright with renewed hope. "I think some of the caravan people are Uzushio survivors."

* * *

><p>-o-o-o-o-o-<p>

AN: Regarding the incident with the flowers - all Ken will say is that it involved a rare type of flower, youthful recklessness, swamp mud, and lots and lots of trouble. Asagao liked the flowers though, so it was all worth it. What is not worth it is telling her why he and Haru vanished for a week and returned sans several mud-sodden sets of clothing and much of their dignity.

Haru totally has a harem tho seriously. Currently the tally includes: several young Ame genin, old man Yama's grandnephew, Kenta, Ichiro, and three more caravan boys she charmed offscreen. What a heartbreaker.

All of you who identified the cameos: congratulations! You will appear as cannon fodder in upcoming chapters.

TO THE REVIEWERS:

Yuxia, theJplayer25, fellow, Roith and Lorette, Personheretolookatstories: thank you for your kind words!

SlowMercury: Li can't do much with her mad robotics skills without the parts that she needs, but she can teach Akari some things about science and construction that will come in handy, and don't thinki for even a second that she hasn't been singlehandedly absorbing all of Asagao and Haru's demonstrated fuuinjutsu skills through force of osmosis.

Archer the Undreamed: (O/O) Thanks for the compliments! Asshat is my favourite insult. Well, the only one that I can call out in public. It's that perfect blend of 'cute' and 'i'm comparing you to a thing that is rude'.

sonyat: SONYAT EVERY TIME YOU REVIEW IT IS GOLD WOMAN. There are still so many characters I need to introduce tho? It's going to take. A while. Oh god. Li is pretty much Akari's personal secretary for now. Because the kid's kinda forgetful and still only 2 and a half. The action will...take a while.

Gagster: Wow holy shit concrit. Thank you! *sprinkles gold sparkles all over your face* Hmm, that is a bit of a problem because currently the group is still stuck in the middle of freaking nowhere (aka Grass Country). It'll look more like Naruto when more ninja stuff comes in, which will take a while. Concerning spirits and kekkei genkai- I have stated that Rising Sun is an AU! This means several things in the history of ninjaland have been changed - the core founding stuff's still the same, of course, but a few changes have veered it so off course it's hilarious. I've thrown Kishi's recent developments out the window (except the stuff with Rikudo Sennin). It's gonna be a wiiild ride! Sorry 'bout Akari's parents, but Asagao will be coming back in flashback chapters and such, and Ken is sticking around for a long time. He's gotta watch his girls for Asagao, after all.

TheParadoxicalOxymoron: HAHAHA I LAUGH IN YOUR DESPAIR. THEY WILL BE COMING BACK AND PLAYING MAJOR ROLES IN AKARI'S DEVELOPMENT AND YOU WILL FEEL EVEN MORE PAIN.

Please review if you liked/loved/disliked/hated/despised with every fibre of being/wanted to spit kittens at it. Thank you all for reading! Next up: more campfire shenanigans, and some actually serious conversation?! WHAT A PLOT TWIST


	9. Midday VIII: Dusk By The River III

_AN: OH MY GOD I AM SO SO SORRY THIS IS SO LATE AUGH. I had summer school and regular school and the muse left me and oh god I am so freakin' sorry you guys. On another note - HOLY SHIT YOU GUYS 12K+ VIEWS?! 42 REVIEWS?! I AM IN AWE. Thank you all so so much for following, faving and just reading this fic! Without further ado, let's proceed with the story and finally finish Dusk by the River!_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_((...Where am I?))_

Dark and cramped and closed in on all sides but _oh_ it was _warm._ Floating in that little pocket, tiny lungs filling and draining of fluid; the thump-_thump_ echoed in soft bones, soothing her.

Detached, the observer sensed through a body that was not her own, too tight and cramped for the enormous mind that was latched onto it. For what seemed like an endless time she watched and marveled as she felt the ears form, the brain coalesce, the skin tighten and congeal. Blood vessels knitted themselves into intricate, labryinthine pathways; nerves tingled and lit up as they came into being.

The observer, curled up in the back of the developing mind, watched with awe. Here was the miracle of human life, a tiny little child coming into being. She wasn't a biologist by any means, but just witnessing this wonder come together was the most glorious post-death experience she could have wished for. Perhaps she was witnessing her own life, from conception to death on the concrete?

Probably not, because she could feel another circulation system constructing itself inside the body, and she was certain human life as she knew it had nothing like this. Pure energy flowed through these channels, burning stronger with each day that passed. It was magnificently strange, the way the glowing blue veins formed pathways to the eyes, the brain, the organs, running alongside the blood vessels and nervous system as it wove its way through the little body. The observer gazed upon this spectacle with delight. Perhaps a mutation, or maybe it had been there, in the human body, all along? What a discovery!

The soft singing that would pierce the wall of the womb was low and deep and soothing, thrumming through the developing infant. Probably the voice of whoever had fathered the child; she was certain this was not her infant self, for her father had never sang a word to her, due to his dying shortly after her conception. The little child would have two parents; lucky, to be so blessed with the strange blue energy that pulsed through its body, and with a whole family to love and care for her.

Time seemed to pass all too fast to the observer, as she spent half her time watching the little child grow and the other half renovating the mindscape she found herself residing in. It was a warm, black, room, pretty much what was on the outside, but the observer took and reshaped it into something more pleasing to the eye, from her own memories. Oval windows let in soft light, giving a view out to a sprawling green ocean of leaves and trees. The birdsong of her childhood drifted in on the breeze, reaching the observer as she molded bookshelves out of the walls that so greatly imitated wood, forming tomes and thick books out of her knowledge and memories, so she wouldn't forget. It reminded her of home.

She was jolted out of her little realm as the baby, grown too large for the confines of its mother's womb, began the inevitable eviction from its first home. The observer watched with rapt attention as the child whose body she was residing in was born, arms flailing and loud wailing coming from the red-haired little girl. The midwife, who looked only fifteen, cradled the baby in her arms, wiping off blood and amniotic fluids, speaking in a language the observer recognised well, from years spent with family and well-loved television shows. So the child was Japanese? But the hair…

As the little girl was gently handed to her mother, the observer watched as the blonde woman glowed with soft golden light, and concluded this was definitely not any universe she knew of.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"_Uzushio? Are you sure?"_

"_It seems very likely. I can't be sure as of yet, but we already know there's one Shiramori here. And Manami-san's red hair and the seals they have casually scattered around…"_

'_We can't jump to conclusions. Accusing a person of being a survivor of one of the greatest destructions in the history of the Elemental Nations...that can get people killed."_

"_You think I don't know that, nii-san?!" Hushed whispers, growing more agitated. "The Yoakeno were the first line of defense for the village! I saw my clansmen on the frontlines, fending off the combined forces of four of the Great Villages, and I watched as they died! When we fled and wandered the nations, I watched as those with red hair were shunned and outcast among their own, even if they weren't Uzumaki! Nee-san died because-!" A hiccup and a sob._

"_Shh, Haru, shhh." Low murmuring, in a soothing baritone voice. "Because she was of Uzushio. I know. I was there. If your clansmen are among these people, you deserve to know. Family is important. But it's not worth getting strangers and innocents into trouble like this."_

_A sniffle. "I miss her."_

"_Me too, imouto. Me too."_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Sat on a log, Akari breathed in deeply. The smoky scent of the fire mixed with the savory spices and herbs infused with the bowl of stew she held in her hands. The warmth from the wood sank into her skin and made her cheeks flush as she cheerily slurped it up, making loud gulping noises as she did so.

Beside her, Kaito laughed as she lowered the bowl. "You have a soup mustache!" he snickered. The little girl blinked in realisation and laughed, mopping it up with a sleeve.

"Aww, now m' sleeve's all icky." Akari pouted, a smile tugging at the edges of it. The liquid gold settled in her stomach infused her with warmth and good feelings, cheering her with the rush she felt inside her. The heat of the campfire also helped immensely.

Licking her lips of the last traces of savoury goodness, she hopped off the log with empty bowl in hand. "Where d' I put this?"

Kaito obligingly showed her the way, over to the basin full of dirty plates and assorted cutlery. After she'd dropped it in, he ushered her over to the riverside. The duo dipped their oily hands into the freezing waters to wash off the grime. Akari splashed the redheaded boy with ice-cold droplets and cackled as he let out a shriek; she barely had time to raise her sleeves for protection as he splashed her in return, giggling all the while. It quickly devolved into a small splash war, ending with the duo significantly more wet than they were before.

"Whoops," said Akari.

"The grownups's're gonna be soooo mad," said Kaito. In unison to this horrible threat, they grinned and giggled in a suitably conspiratorial fashion.

Now dripping wet with river water, the two tromped back, wet footprints in their wake as they weaved past chatting caravan members and assorted tables and tents to the bonfire. Akari looked ahead and smiled - tousan was sitting by the fire with a bowl of stew in his hands, talking with some other caravan members by the light of the flames.

She beamed and cried out. "Touchan!" Kaito winced and blinked out the water droplets from his eyes, batting away her flapping sleeves as she waved wildly.

Ken looked up, took in the sight of his baby girl soaking wet and probably chilled to the bone, and understandably freaked out a little.

He rushed over, meeting the pair halfway, immediately getting down on his knees to inspect his baby girl. "Kari-chan! How did you get so wet, you must be freezing!" He scolded. Akari simply giggled and raised her hands in the universal children's gesture of 'carry me, slave'.

The swordsman obliged, hoisting the drenched girl up by her underarms and bundling her into his arms. As an afterthought, he rearranged his daughter onto his right arm, picked up the equally dripping wet boy with his left, and carried them both over to the bonfire. "Ancestors, what did you two get up to? I leave you for a few minutes and you go jumping into the river! You could get sick!"

Kaito endured the chiding with the air of a small prince, brushing aside the concerns like they were rather annoying bugs. "It's okay, Ken-san, we just splashed each other lots, is all."

"Yep!" The 'p' was popped with an accompaniment of small droplets raining down on Ken's cheek. Akari grinned. "I'h was fuuun! But we're all wet now. Can you do the fire thing and make it dry?"

Ken sighed and gently butted his forehead against his baby girl's. "Tiny monkeys, you both are. Honestly."

He laid them both onto the log, where they shedded their soggy outer layers of clothing and with the assistance of some helpful clan members, hung them up from the nearest caravan to dry. The duo were quickly toweled off, wrapped into warm, fuzzy blankets, and sat in front of the blazing hearth to dry, supervised by a watchful father.

Akari yawned, smacking her lips. She cozied up against her father's side. "Tou-saaan," she mumbled into the cloth of Ken's coat, "Wh're's Ru-nee?"

Ken wound a warm arm around her, tapping out a gentle rhythm of pats against her side. "She's talking to some new friends, honey," He murmured softly, his voice rumbling through her comfortingly. "She'll come by soon. Get some rest now, okay?"

"'kay." Another quiet yawn, ending in a whisper of breath.

Sighing, swaddled in warmth and surrounded by the brightness of family, Akari nodded off, surrendering to the darkness of slumber with a sleepy smile and euphoria filling the mother-shaped void in her heart if only for a little while. It had been a long week.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ken gently cradled his daughter in his arms, her head resting against his chest, stray false-brown hairs tickling his scarred skin. He patted her precious little head and smiled, then turned to the boy at his side. "Do you know where Akari's sleeping for the night?"

Kaito yawned, his blankets shifting with him as he basked in the glow of the flames. "Mmmm… I think it's with the rest of us kids, so it's Nami-neechan's cart y'want." He gestured vaguely in the direction of the first few caravans. "Ov'r there."

Ken gave him a head pat too. Small sleepy children were still the cutest thing around. "Thanks, Uzumaki-kun."

The boy blinked blearily, giving a childish glare. "'s _Kaito_, Ken-san. Uz'maki makes me sound like an _ooolld _person. Wait up, 'm gonna follow." He toddled to his feet, wobbling under the muffling weight of cloth. Obligingly, Ken plucked a few pieces off him, covering Akari in them instead.

A small yawn once more. "Hey, Ken-san, d'n't she gotta brush'er teeth?"

A low chuckle, careful not to wake the sleeping child in his arms. "I think I'll let her pass for one night."

They walked quietly on, Akari still slumbering peacefully in the swordsman's rough arms. Overhead, the half-moon shone, in a sea of deep darkness and stars.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_AN: You'd best believe that we're gonna delve into AU stuff straightaway! A question for the reviewers - there are three Uzushio clans that have been named so far: the Uzumaki, the Yoakeno and the Shiramori. Guess what the next ones will be!_

_To the reviews!_

_TheParadoxicalOxymoron - it is kinda filler, but it's character interaction filler! With a bit of plot and stuff slipped in. Mostly though it's just shenanigans and character introductions + interactions. Thanks for the support! Exams went well._

_sonyat - I AM SO FLATTERED AUGH. Li comes and goes when she wants. Usually she's there at the forefront, but when she's focusing on the mindscape she recedes. Haru is the Most Charming Girl. It's a bunch of awkward teens flirting awkwardly, haha. I might do a oneshot someday... I HAVE HAD THAT PLOT POINT IN MY MIND FROM THE BEGINNING HAHAHAHAHAHA UZUSHIOOOO_

_Whispering Darkness - YAY A NEWCOMER! *blushes* d'aww thanks for the compliments! Bless ur face_

_Janneia - haha it's okay. I'll figure out how to work you guys in SOMEHOW._

_BerserkMoon - It'll be a whiiiile more. For the first act this is a mainly OC-oriented thing, but later on we'll come to canon and shit will start to hit the fan._

_4everfictional - WOW BLESS YOUR FACE THANK YOU!_

_Paul Perkins - Akari is about 2 and a half as of this chapter. Ken is 24, Haru is 16. Shin is about 19, and listing all of the caravan members would take too much time so nahh. Asagao was 23 when she died._


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